Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles feared for their lives after their plane suddenly jolted and appeared to plunge through the sky, leaving four flight attendants injured and triggering an emergency medical response.
The terrifying incident unfolded Wednesday night, October 21, as United Airlines Flight 1157 approached Los Angeles International Airport following a flight from Honolulu.
The Boeing 777, carrying 190 passengers and 10 crew members, encountered a brief but powerful burst of turbulence that sent travelers into a panic.
Several passengers described feeling as though the aircraft had suddenly dropped out of the sky, while others recalled hearing screaming and loud noises throughout the cabin.
“We just started falling, and I was like, ‘Oh my God,'” passenger Coral Pena told ABC7 Los Angeles.
Another traveler, Marly Wadlington of San Diego, said she had been watching a movie when the aircraft suddenly jolted.
“I was watching a movie and all of a sudden we just dropped,” Wadlington recalled. “And it felt like we dropped pretty far. It started shaking, everyone was yelling. We were all super scared.”
The frightening encounter reportedly occurred while the aircraft was descending toward Los Angeles at an altitude of approximately 27,000 feet.
Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot describing the sudden disturbance shortly afterward.
“It only lasted a couple of seconds. It felt like wake turbulence, but we’re smooth now,” the pilot told controllers.
Wake turbulence is caused by powerful rotating air currents generated behind an aircraft, particularly larger jets. These disturbances can sometimes create unexpected jolts for aircraft flying nearby.
However, investigators have not confirmed whether wake turbulence caused Wednesday’s incident.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft descending approximately 3,500 feet in one minute, although that figure alone does not establish that the plane experienced an uncontrolled drop. Aircraft routinely descend thousands of feet during their approach to an airport.
What is clear is that the sudden turbulence was powerful enough to injure several members of the cabin crew.
Four flight attendants were hurt, including two who reportedly suffered neck and back injuries.
One passenger told ABC7 that she saw a flight attendant with injuries to her head and leg following the disturbance.
Despite the frightening moments, the pilots maintained control of the aircraft and continued toward Los Angeles.
The plane landed safely at LAX around 9:44 p.m., where emergency medical personnel were waiting to assist the injured crew members.
Passengers remained aboard for a period after landing while responders assessed the situation.
United Airlines confirmed that four flight attendants required medical attention, including one who was transported to a hospital for additional treatment.
No passengers were reported injured.
The airline has not publicly disclosed the extent of the hospitalized crew member’s injuries or provided an updated medical condition.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that it will investigate the turbulence encounter to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Severe turbulence can occur unexpectedly, even when skies appear relatively calm. The Federal Aviation Administration advises passengers to keep their seat belts fastened whenever seated because sudden turbulence can happen without enough warning for travelers or crew members to prepare.
Flight attendants face a particular risk because they frequently move through the cabin while serving passengers or performing other duties.
Although commercial aircraft are designed to withstand substantial turbulence, sudden changes in motion can still cause injuries to people who are standing or not securely restrained.
Wednesday’s incident has renewed attention to that danger, particularly as passengers describe how quickly an ordinary flight turned into a frightening experience.
For the 190 travelers aboard Flight 1157, the ordeal ended safely on the ground in Los Angeles.
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