Eight people hospitalized after AA flight makes emergency landing

An American Airlines flight traveling from Tampa to Nashville was forced to make an emergency landing in Alabama after encountering extreme turbulence that resulted in multiple injuries on Wednesday.

According to CBS News, the Embraer E175 landed in Birmingham without incident shortly after 3 p.m. CT. However, eight people, including six passengers and two flight attendants, sustained injuries due to the unexpected rough air and were hospitalized for further evaluation.

The plane, American Eagle Flight 3609, was carrying 52 passengers and four crew members.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it will investigate the incident while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not yet decided whether to look into the incident.

Wednesday’s incident came one day after a Portland-bound American Airlines flight was forced to return to Charlotte due to a potential mechanical issue after takeoff. According to The Charlotte Observer, the plane circled the airport for over two hours before that landing due to inclement weather and to burn fuel.