Severe Turbulence on United Flight Leaves Passengers and Crew Injured

On January 24, 2025, United Airlines Flight UA613, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Lagos, Nigeria (LOS), to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), experienced a sudden loss of altitude approximately an hour into the flight. The incident resulted in injuries to both passengers and crew members, prompting the aircraft to return to Lagos for an emergency landing.

Social media posts showed chaos in the cabin in the aftermath.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed that the flight carried 245 passengers and 11 crew members. In total, 38 individuals sustained injuries: four passengers and two crew members suffered serious injuries, while 27 passengers and five crew members reported minor injuries. All injured individuals received medical attention upon landing.

United Airlines issued a statement attributing the incident to a "technical issue" and confirmed that the aircraft landed safely in Lagos. The airline is collaborating with aviation authorities in both the United States and Nigeria to investigate the cause of the sudden altitude loss.

Preliminary data indicates that the aircraft's transponder was set to the emergency code 7700 during the incident, signaling an emergency situation. Flight tracking information shows a controlled descent, with the aircraft landing approximately 100 minutes after takeoff.

The aircraft involved, registered as N27903, is 12 years old and was delivered to United Airlines in December 2012.

This event is reminiscent of a similar incident involving a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787-9 in early 2024, where the aircraft experienced an unintentional loss of altitude due to an involuntary forward shift of the captain's seat. Investigations into the United Airlines incident are ongoing to determine the exact cause and to prevent future occurrences.