Lufthansa Flight from Texas to Germany Hit by Turbulence; 7 Hospitalized

A Lufthansa flight from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, was forced to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport due to severe turbulence.

Seven individuals were injured on board and were brought to the hospital, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Officials at IAD have confirmed that flight 469 from Lufthansa Airlines has landed safely. After receiving the call, authority workers boarded the plane and took the injured to nearby medical facilities.

This comment was issued by a Lufthansa Airlines spokesperson to 7News:

"Lufthansa flight LH469 on March 1 from Austin, Texas (AUS) to Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff. The Lufthansa flight made an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles International Airport as a precautionary measure," the statement said.

Medical assistance was provided to anyone who needed it after the Airbus A330-300 landed safely. Lufthansa ground workers at Dulles International Airport are considering the needs of stranded passengers and rebooking them on alternative flights.

The company's employees and national and international authorities are investigating the incident's specifics.

The passengers were put up in nearby motels and rebooked on alternative flights.

"Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority at all times," the statement concluded.

What Happened to Lufthansa Flight Passengers?

The plane reportedly fell into "free fall" just as the meal service was starting, according to one passenger.

People and food were thrown into the air, damaging the plane's ceiling, the passenger claimed, requesting to be anonymous out of fear that Lufthansa would not offer compensation, Washington Post noted.

A person on the seat in front of the passenger was severely harmed, according to the passenger, and blood was all over the seat. The injured passenger was taken from the plane in a wheelchair.

The passenger and their traveling partner were unharmed, though their attire had been ruined by spilled food and drink. However, while the airline covered the cost of a hotel room and a taxi, they did not assist with additional costs, said the passenger.

During the turbulence, passengers' belongings were thrown all over the aisle, and photos taken after the flight revealed a chaotic scene, according to PEOPLE.

"People who didn't have the seat belts fastened got hurt mostly cause it came as surprise without seat belt sign on," recalled Stryker Fadhel, whose wife was on the flight.

Turbulence is an uneven air motion arising from eddies and vertical currents" caused by fronts, wind shear, thunderstorms, and other weather phenomena, as the National Weather Service describes.

Severe turbulence can result in vast and sudden fluctuations in altitude and significant variations in indicated velocity, which can force people to "be forced violently against their seat belts," and the plane can momentarily be out of control, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa stated its ground workers at Dulles International Airport were looking into customers' well-being and rebooking them accordingly. However, the airline did not immediately elaborate on whether they will compensate travelers.

The airline apologized for any inconvenience this may have caused its customers.

The FAA has promised to investigate what happened.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Several passengers hospitalized after extreme turbulence, emergency landing l GMA - From ABC News