'He hit the ceiling': SkyWest jet plunges 4,400 feet in 60 seconds as passengers suffer grave injuries

AUSTIN, TEXAS: A SkyWest flight from Aspen to Houston turned into a nightmare midair when the plane suddenly plummeted more than 4,000 feet in under a minute, leaving two passengers injured and hospitalized.

The chaos hit SkyWest Flight 5971 about 90 minutes into the trip on Thursday, August 28, when the plane nosedived from 39,000 feet to 34,650 feet in less than 60 seconds. The flight was forced to divert to Austin due to what officials described as “severe turbulence.”

At least one passenger smacked their head on the ceiling. “We will need a stretcher,” the pilot urgently radioed to air traffic control, according to audio obtained by LiveATC.net. “I know that there is bleeding as well.”

Oxygen masks drop, panic sets in

The rough air didn’t stop with that one plunge. The plane continued losing altitude over the next few minutes before dropping another 25,000 feet in about six minutes to land safely in Austin.

“The flight landed safely and was met by medical personnel upon arrival,” SkyWest said in a statement.

But the ordeal was terrifying inside the cabin. Footage posted to X showed oxygen masks dangling in front of passengers. One woman in the video could be heard saying, “We hit really, really bad turbulence.” She explained that the plane was diverting because “someone is hurt really, really bad,” adding that “he hit the ceiling.”

The same passenger revealed her friend was in the bathroom during the turbulence and “lost some of her teeth.” Her video panned across the shaken cabin, where at least one other woman was strapped into her seat using an oxygen mask.

There were 39 passengers and four crew members onboard when turbulence struck. Two adult passengers were taken to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport told CNN.

Photos from inside the plane captured the aftermath. An in-flight magazine was jammed into the roof’s crevice, and belongings were strewn all over the aisle.

“Medical authorities reported to the airport that no injuries are expected to be life-threatening,” officials later confirmed.

Turbulence is rarely fatal, but always terrifying

While turbulence is one of the trickiest hazards for pilots, experts say fatal cases are very rare. Disturbances like storms or mountains can make the air behave like rapids in a river, tossing planes around.

Since 1981, just four turbulence-related deaths have been recorded, according to the BBC. The most recent tragedy happened in May 2024 on Singapore Airlines Flight 321, when a Boeing 777-300ER hit extreme turbulence mid-meal service. That incident killed a 73-year-old man and left more than 140 people injured.

SkyWest, meanwhile, emphasized that safety is their top concern. “Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard and we are working with our partner United to assist customers,” the airline said.

Once the plane was safely on the ground in Austin, Austin-Travis County EMS crews evaluated all 43 people onboard. The remainder of the flight was canceled, and the FAA has now launched an investigation into the incident

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