Turbulence hits hard: Five hospitalized after midair chaos on American Airlines flight; FAA investigates

Five people, including three crew members, were transported to a hospital on Sunday, after an American Airlines flight experienced an ‘unexpected turbulence’.

American Airlines flight 1286, an Airbus A321, was traveling from Miami International Airport when the turbulence hit. It landed safely at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina around 10:50 p.m. "after the crew reported possible injuries to cabin crew and passengers due to turbulence," according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Three flight attendants and two passengers were taken to a local hospital for observation after the flight encountered turbulence, according to the airline, reported Fox News. The seat belt sign was on at the time of the incident. All five individuals have since been released, though no further details were provided about the extent of their injuries.

A passenger on the flight told CNN that the incident occurred shortly after the crew began cabin service.

“It was way quick, totally unexpected turbulence right after they started service,” Lee Francis IV, who was on the flight, told CNN. He added that the crew members were extremely professional after they hit the turbulence.

The flight was met by the airport’s fire rescue team, along with Wake County and Durham emergency medical services, upon landing around 10:50 p.m. the airport said in a statement to Fox News.

A passenger told the same agency they witnessed two flight attendants sustain injuries during the incident, one reportedly suffering a broken arm, while the other was burned by hot water from the drinks cart. The passenger also described seeing a man who was knocked unconscious.

The FAA is investigating the incident.