United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Nigeria After Six People Injured By In-Flight Jolt

 

A D.C.-bound United Airlines Flight had to make an emergency landing in Nigeria on Friday after passengers and crew members were injured by an ‘in-flight jolt,’ that caused food trays, drinks, and passengers' belongings to fly throughout the cabin.

A total of six people were seriously injured in the incident, four of which were passengers and two crew members, prompting the pilot to request an emergency landing in Lagos where the flight originated, so the injured could be taken to the hospital for treatment.

A total of 245 passengers , eight crew members, and three pilots were onboard Flight 613, which departed from Lagos, Nigeria, and was headed to Washington, D.C. when approximately 93 minutes into its flight, after passengers had been given the all clear to remove their seat belts, and crew members had just served the passengers their meals, the aircraft lost pressure, causing it to jolt abruptly, then begin a rapid nosedive before pilots could regain control.

The flight tracking site, FlightRadar24, recorded the aircraft’s rapid descent after cruising for 93 minutes with no issues. Reports indicate that this same aircraft had issues on Tuesday departing from Lagos and bound for D.C.; FlightRadar24 once again recorded the aircraft’s flight and sudden, rapid descent of 1,000 feet within the first 89 minutes the flight was in the air.

The Dreamliner aircraft's midair jolt and rapid descension caused objects to go airborne, falling everywhere within the cabin; a strewn mess of passengers’ luggage, belongings, food, trays, and airline items.

Videos of the chaotic aftermath onboard Flight UA613 have gone viral on social media channels; footage showing debris all over the floor, and passengers could be heard shouting in panic, many bracing against seats in front of them after the fearful ordeal.

According to Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Michael Achimugu, “The United Airlines flight departed from Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 23:59 on Thursday, January 23, 2025, and returned for an emergency landing at 03:22 the following morning.”

However, United Airlines officials said they are unsure what caused the midair jolt, and are “working with aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria to understand the cause.”

The reasoning for the midair jolt: pressure loss. However, why the aircraft lost pressure is under investigation.

Thankfully, there were no fatalities from the freakish air incident. However, authorities have indicated that aviation medical ambulances were waiting on the runway when the UA flight arrived to swiftly care for the injured.

Head injuries were sustained due to passengers being lifted out of their seats and hitting their heads on the aircraft’s ceiling. Those seriously injured were taken to Duchess Hospital in Ikeja, while others with minor injuries were transferred to the MMA Clinic and Headquarters Clinic in Lagos, treated, and released.

The remaining passengers on the flight were provided hotel accommodations in Lagos, while airline officials and authorities continue to investigate the cause of the aircraft’s sudden pressure loss.