'Severe Turbulence' Forces Plane To Make Emergency Landing At Dulles; 7 Hospitalized

DULLES, VA — Seven people were hospitalized Wednesday after severe turbulence forced a Lufthansa flight bound for Germany to make an emergency landing at Dulles International Airport, according to authorities and reports.

Lufthansa flight LH469 was traveling to Frankfurt from Austin, Texas, when it was diverted to Dulles after experiencing significant turbulence, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson Rob Yingling told Patch.

In an email to The Washington Post, Lufthansa confirmed the flight "encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff." The crew made the unscheduled landing as a "precautionary measure," the Post reported.

The plane landed around 9:10 p.m., Yingling said. Seven people were taken to nearby hospitals with minor injuries, he added.

Susan Zimmerman of Austin was among the passengers onboard the flight during the incident, she told CNN.

"During dinner service, there suddenly was a wind shear, the plane increased altitude, then we fell 1,000 feet," she told CNN. "It was like unexpectedly free-falling for five seconds off the top of a rollercoaster, plates and glassware were up at the ceiling, and my purse from the floor flew behind me to the right."

Once the plane landed, first responders boarded the flight to help those injured, Zimmerman told CNN.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.