Unexpected Turbulence Leaves Flight Attendants Hurt

A United Airlines flight heading from Los Angeles to Newark met a sudden storm on February 10, 2024. The aircraft was descending when it entered a patch of unstable air that the onboard radar did not flag as dangerous. Three minutes earlier, another plane had reported moderate turbulence to the air traffic controller, but that warning never reached the United flight. The controller said they did not hear the report, and the NTSB found that the required procedure for sharing weather alerts was ignored. While the seat‑belt sign was lit and crew members were doing final checks, the plane dropped sharply and then pitched upward.Wind speeds shifted by almost 75 miles per hour over just a few thousand feet, causing the cabin to feel like a roller coaster. One flight attendant was thrown into the ceiling and then slammed to the floor, breaking her spine. Two others lost consciousness in the galley; one suffered a broken femur, crushed vertebrae, and a head injury, while the other sustained facial cuts and brain bleeding. Other crew members and passengers who were not buckled up also hit the ceiling, including a baby on a lap and a person in the lavatory.