Sudden altitude drop injures JetBlue passengers, forces Florida landing

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after a sudden drop in altitude on a flight from Mexico forced an emergency landing in Florida, officials said Friday.

The Thursday flight from Cancun was headed to Newark, New Jersey, when the altitude dropped. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was diverted to Tampa International Airport around 2 p.m. “after the crew experienced a flight control issue.”

Between 15 and 20 people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Vivian Shedd, a spokesperson for Tampa Fire Rescue.

JetBlue says it has taken the aircraft, an Airbus A320, out of service for inspection. The plane has 162 seats, according to the airline’s website. It wasn’t immediately known how many people were on board.

“We will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause,” JetBlue said in a statement. The FAA says it is also investigating.

Pilots told air traffic control that there had been “a flight control issue” and described injuries including a possible “laceration in the head,” according to audio recorded by LiveATC.net.

Medical personnel met the passengers and crew on the ground at the airport, according to an airport spokesperson.

In June, a JetBlue flight landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport rolled off the runway and into the grass. No one was injured but the runway was temporarily closed.