For a few terrifying moments on Thursday, passengers were tossed around on a JetBlue Airways flight when the plane suddenly dropped in midair before it made an emergency landing in Tampa, Fla., the Federal Aviation Administration and the airline said.
Fifteen to 20 people were taken to hospitals after the plane landed, Vivian Shedd, a spokeswoman for Tampa Fire Rescue, said in a statement. The extent and nature of their injuries were not immediately clear, but Ms. Shedd said they were not life-threatening.
The episode occurred about two and a half hours into a flight from Cancún International Airport in Mexico to Newark Liberty International Airport. The F.A.A. said that the plane lost altitude after it “experienced a flight control issue,” and that the cause of the sudden drop was under investigation. The agency did not say how far the plane dropped in altitude.
After the plane, an Airbus A320, landed safely at Tampa International Airport, it was taken out of service for an inspection, according to JetBlue.
“The flight was met by medical personnel who evaluated customers and crew members, and those needing additional care were transported to local hospitals,” the airline said in a statement.
Videos posted on social media showed JetBlue agents serving Chick-fil-A sandwiches, granola bars and beverages to passengers at the Tampa airport.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on transportation. He is based in Washington.
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