7 Lufthansa passengers on Texas to Germany flight hospitalized after lightning strikes plane
Lufthansa Flight 469 was heading to Frankfurt, Germany Wednesday
Lufthansa flight from Texas to Germany experiences 'severe' turbulence
Video from inside a Lufthansa flight from Texas to Germany showed the aftermath of "severe" turbulence. (Susan Zimmerman / LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
Seven passengers on board a Lufthansa flight that encountered "severe turbulence" over Tennessee were sent to hospitals in the Washington, D.C., area after the plane was diverted to Dulles International Airport.
The husband of a woman on the flight said on Twitter that lightning struck the plane and that it fell 1,000 feet.
The Federal Aviation Administration told FOX Business it will now launch an investigation into what happened on board the Airbus A330 that was flying from Austin, Texas to Frankfurt, Germany on Wednesday night.
"Lufthansa Flight 469 diverted to Dulles International Airport and landed without incident around 9:10 p.m. local time after the crew reported encountering severe turbulence at 37,000 feet altitude over Tennessee," the FAA said in a statement.
FAA INVESTIGATING ‘CLOSE CALL’ BETWEEN JETBLUE FLIGHT, LEARJET AT BOSTON AIRPORT
Contents were scattered throughout Lufthansa Flight 469's cabin on Wednesday night following the turbulence. (ModerMuna/Twitter)
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said after the plane landed at Dulles, "Authority personnel responded to the flight and transported seven people to local hospitals."
WASHINGTON, DC-BOUND FLIGHT FORCED TO DIVERT AFTER PASSENGER REPORTEDLY TRIED TO BREACH COCKPIT
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLAKY | DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA AG | 6.366 | -0.11 | -1.76% |
A photo shared on Twitter by the man who said his wife was on the flight appeared to show trays and other debris scattered throughout the cabin.
"People who didn’t have the seat belts fastened got hurt mostly because it came as [a] surprise," the user wrote, adding that lightning hit the plane and it fell 1,000 feet.
Lufthansa, in a statement to FOX Business, called the turbulence "brief but severe."
A Lufthansa aircraft in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 2020. The plane Wednesday night was heading there from Texas before being diverted. (AP/Michael Probst / AP Images)
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"After the Airbus A330-300 landed, affected passengers received medical attention," the airline said. "Lufthansa ground staff at Dulles are currently attending to the well-being of passengers and rebooking them accordingly."
"Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers," it added. "The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority at all times."
Fox News' Melissa Summers contributed to this report.