United Cancun-Chicago Flight Turbulence, 7 Injured, Emergency Landing in Memphis

MEMPHIS- United Airlines (UA) Flight UA1196 executed an emergency landing at Memphis International Airport (MEM) on Wednesday, August 28, following severe turbulence.

The incident resulted in injuries to seven passengers, with one requiring hospital transport.

Photo: By Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland – United Airlines Boeing 737-900ER; N37419@LAX;10.10.2011/622ha, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26712819

United Flight Turbulence

The Boeing 737, carrying 172 passengers and 7 crew members, departed from Cancun (CUN), Mexico, destined for Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Turbulence struck over New Orleans, prompting the crew to divert to Memphis.

According to Flight Radar 24 data, United Airlines flight UA1196 took off from Cancun at 5:26 PM UTC. After being airborne for around one hour and 20 minutes, the flight experienced severe turbulence. At that time aircraft were crossing the Gulf of Mexico and entering the US coast over New Orleans.

Following this, the flight crew decided to make an emergency landing at Memphis. The flight landed safely at MEM at around 7:41 PM UTC.

The aircraft involved in the incident is a Boeing 737-900ER registered as N66814. It is a 10.6-year-old aircraft powered by CFM56-7B engines.

Memphis Fire Department reported that while seven individuals sustained minor injuries, only one passenger was hospitalized in non-critical condition. The remaining injured passengers declined medical treatment.

Photo: By Eddie Maloney from North Las Vegas, USA – N37437, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30844148

Official Remarks

United Airlines confirmed the seatbelt sign was illuminated during the turbulence event. The airline commended its crew’s efforts in ensuring passenger safety and anticipated a swift departure to Chicago following the incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the turbulence incident. Their statement confirmed the safe landing and outlined plans to examine the circumstances surrounding the event.

FAA in its statements for aviation incidents and accidents report stated,

We have reached out to United Airlines for more information on the incident. We will update the post once we get their response.

Update: United told Aviation A2Z:

Photo: Cado Photo

Similar Incidents

On June 18, 2024, a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 encountered severe turbulence during its flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Kahului (OGG), Hawaii. The Aviation Herald reports that the intense, gusty conditions triggered the automatic deployment of oxygen masks. The aircraft, bearing registration N777UA, is one of the oldest operational Boeing 777s, having served for 29.2 years.

Earlier this month, an American Airlines (AA) Tampa (TPA) to Charlotte (CLT) flight experienced severe turbulence, injuring two flight attendants. The flight landed safely at Charlotte and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the incident and is under investigation.

Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) poses a significant challenge for aviation. This sudden, severe turbulence occurs in cloudless regions, causing violent aircraft buffeting. CAT typically occurs above 15,000 feet, often between jet streams and surrounding air

What are your thoughts on the rise in Turbulence incidents? Did you experience severe turbulence on your flight? Let us know in the comments.

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