Flight Drops 4,400ft in Seconds Sending Screaming Passengers to the Hospital

Screams, chaos, and prayers filled the cabin as SkyWest Flight 5971 suddenly plunged more than 4,000 feet in mere seconds, throwing passengers and belongings into the air in a terrifying midair nightmare.

The Thursday evening flight from Aspen to Houston was about 90 minutes into its journey when it encountered violent turbulence near Fort Worth, Texas. Without warning, the jet dropped from 39,000 feet to 34,650 feet, forcing the pilots to declare an emergency and divert to Austin, nearly 165 miles from its original destination.

“It felt like the plane just fell out of the sky,” one shaken passenger told ABC. “A grown man flew up like a rag doll. Someone in front of me slammed into the ceiling several times.”

The terrifying drop sparked sheer panic. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling, bags and personal belongings were ripped from under seats, and phones and purses went flying across the cabin.

“I looked down and there was a cellphone in my lap that wasn’t mine,” another traveler recalled. “It must have launched through the air and landed right there.”

According to air traffic control audio obtained by LiveATC.net, one of the pilots urgently reported injuries as the chaos unfolded: “We’re going to need a stretcher, and there is bleeding as well.”

Flight data from FlightRadar24 shows that the plane descended more than 25,000 feet in just six minutes before stabilizing. Passengers described the sensation as “being on a roller coaster without a track,” with several fearing the worst.

“People were crying, screaming, holding hands,” another passenger said. “I thought this was it.”

Emergency crews were waiting on the runway when the plane landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Two passengers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while all 39 passengers and four crew members were evaluated on-site.

SkyWest Airlines, which operates regional flights for United, issued a statement after the incident: “Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard, and we are working closely with our partner United to assist customers.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified, and an investigation is underway into what triggered the severe turbulence and dramatic altitude drop.

This isn’t the first time turbulence has caused injuries this year, as climate shifts and more intense storms are leading to increasingly volatile skies. Experts warn that passengers should always keep their seatbelts fastened, even when cruising appears smooth.

For those on Flight 5971, though, it’s an experience they’ll never forget. “I just kept thinking of my kids,” one passenger admitted. “When we finally landed, everyone was clapping and crying. We were just happy to be alive.”