United Airlines Flight 1157 encountered severe turbulence while approaching LAX from Hawaii on Wednesday night, injuring four flight attendants. At least two suffered neck and back injuries. The aircraft landed safely.
Tim Pulliam, an ABC7 Los Angeles reporter, reported that four attendants were injured. The airline said medical personnel evaluated all four, and one was taken to a hospital for further treatment. No passengers were injured.
Passengers described a sudden drop, shaking and shouting in the cabin. San Diego resident Marly Wadlington said she had been watching a movie when the aircraft moved sharply.
“I was watching a movie and all of a sudden we just drop,” Wadlington said. “And it felt like we dropped pretty far. It started shaking, everyone was yelling. We were all super scared.”
Coral Pena recalled hearing a loud bang. “We just started falling, and I was like, 'Oh my God,'” she said. Another passenger said she saw a flight attendant with blood on her head and leg.
The pilot told air traffic control the movement lasted only seconds.
“It only lasted a couple of seconds, it felt like wake turbulence, but we're smooth now,” the pilot said.
Nearly 200 passengers and 10 crew members were aboard. After landing, the aircraft remained on the tarmac for at least 30 minutes while the injured attendants stayed onboard and the plane waited for a gate.
The airline evaluated four attendants and sent one to a hospital
The airline’s account describes medical checks for each of the four flight attendants, with one requiring further care at a hospital. The reported neck and back injuries affected at least two crew members. Passengers were shaken, but none were reported injured.
The flight landed safely. The incident occurred during the arrival, rather than after the aircraft reached the gate. The delay on the ground lasted at least 30 minutes as the attendants remained aboard.
The onboard accounts convey how quickly the turbulence unfolded. Wadlington described passengers yelling as the cabin shook; Pena recalled a loud bang. A separate passenger described seeing an injured attendant. Those accounts accompanied the pilot’s radio call that the aircraft had returned to smooth conditions.
Crew safety guidance describes what violent turbulence can do inside a cabin
The standard intensity scale used in turbulence reporting describes severe conditions as causing large abrupt changes in altitude or aircraft attitude, often with substantial airspeed variations. An aircraft can be momentarily out of control under that definition.
Inside the cabin, occupants may be thrown forcefully against seat belts or shoulder straps. Loose objects can fly through the cabin, and walking or serving food becomes impossible. The guidance describes why flight attendants face particular exposure when turbulence hits while they are working.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants says turbulence is the leading cause of injury to flight attendants. Its guidance says at least one turbulence event involving injuries has been reported every month since January 2017.
The attendants' union reviews turbulence safety procedures every week
The APFA Turbulence Task Force meets weekly to reduce injuries and raise safety awareness. Its participants include APFA, Flight Service, Flight Safety, APA, AA Medical, Meteorology, Flight Attendants and Pilots, among others.
The union’s crew guidance calls for a seatbelt or turbulence announcement when possible. It advises crew to secure aisle carts by wedging them between seats and setting the brake, remove hot liquids from carts and put them on the floor, then sit in the nearest seat and fasten the seat belt and shoulder harness if available. If no seat is available, the guidance says crew should sit on the floor and secure themselves.
Crew members should remain seated until the flight deck tells them otherwise. Once conditions allow, the guidance says they should check lavatories, report injuries or cabin damage to the flight deck, and submit a CERS report. The union’s weekly task force continues to focus on preventing turbulence injuries.
