A Lufthansa flight from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt was forced to land near Washington D.C. on Wednesday evening after running into severe turbulence, the airline and authorities said.
At least seven people were injured and sent to hospital because of the turbulence, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority told Insider in a statement.
Flight 469 diverted to Dulles International Airport and landed at around 9:10 p.m., the authority said.
In a statement to Insider, a Lufthansa spokesperson said the plane was hit by "brief severe turbulence" around 90 minutes after it took off from Austin.
"This was so-called clear air turbulence, which can occur without visible weather phenomena or advance warning," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said some passengers had sustained "minor injuries" and that flight attendants administered care onboard before the emergency landing.
An unnamed passenger on the flight told The Washington Post that the Airbus A330 went into free fall as the cabin crew was serving dinner. Food and people "went flying into the air, hitting and even damaging the ceiling of the plane," they told the outlet.
The passenger said another person on board the flight was bleeding had to be taken off the plane in a wheelchair, per The Post.
