Severe turbulence injures 1, forces Chicago-bound United flight to divert to Memphis
According to United Airlines, Flight No. 1196 from Cancun to Chicago O’Hare encountered “a brief period of severe turbulence while the seatbelt sign was on."
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CHICAGO – Severe turbulence rocked a United Airlines flight headed to Chicago on Wednesday, forcing the pilots to divert to Memphis after a passenger was injured.
According to United Airlines, Flight No. 1196 took off from Cancun International Airport in Mexico on Wednesday and was on its way to Chicago O’Hare International Airport when the flight encountered "a brief period of severe turbulence while the seatbelt sign was on."
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Turbulence can range from light to extreme.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
That flight, United said, was then diverted to Memphis International Airport in Tennessee where it was met by paramedics. One injured passenger was taken to the hospital.
"We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers," a United spokesperson said in a statement to FOX Weather.
The flight was able to get back into the air a few hours later and landed safely in Chicago.
The incident occurred just as millions of Americans travel for the unofficial end to summer over the Labor Day holiday weekend.