A United Airlines flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Washington Dulles International Airport has recently made headlines after experiencing an unexpected in-flight jolt. The incident resulted in injuries to 38 passengers and crew members, with six of them suffering serious injuries.

Flight 613 was forced to turn back shortly after taking off, landing safely back in Lagos. According to USA Today, the turbulence was not attributed to severe weather conditions but appeared to be linked to a technical issue.

Eyewitness accounts describe chaos onboard the plane, with trays, food, and other items scattered across the aisle, and a video recording obtained by passengers depicted the alarming scene during the episode. The Boeing 787, which carried 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots, had to return to Lagos at approximately 3:22 a.m. after the disturbance occurred around 93 minutes into the flight, noted CNN.

Health officials reported that four passengers and two crew members were taken to the hospital for examination, but they have since been released. An additional 27 passengers and five crew members received first aid and were released at the scene. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria confirmed that medical teams were on standby when the aircraft landed.

The flight's sudden descent raised concerns among aviation observers, particularly as the same aircraft had been involved in a diversion earlier that week due to a similar descent profile, leading to investigations about potential links between the two incidents. Michael Achimugu, the director of public affairs and consumer protection at Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority, stated that the airline is cooperating with authorities in both the US and Nigeria to determine the cause of the in-flight incident. United Airlines acknowledged their intention to work closely with both aviation agencies to ascertain the circumstances surrounding this event, as shared in an Newsweek report.

This incident has reignited discussions around air travel safety, particularly concerning Boeing 787 models, which previously faced scrutiny for safety and technical issues.

For further details, you can visit India Times and USA Today for more information.