The flight, operated by SkyWest, left from The Bahamas just after 1:30 p.m. bound for Atlanta. Turbulence forced it to divert to Jacksonville.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Delta Airlines flight operated by SkyWest Airlines had to divert to Jacksonville International Airport Thursday after encountering heavy turbulence over Florida, causing one person to be injured, according to FAA and Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department (JFRD) officials.
SkyWest 3723, originating from North Eleuthera Airport in The Bahamas, departed around 1:38 p.m. Thursday bound for Atlanta.
According to FlightAware, the Embraer 175 was flying north near Sanford, Florida, at 37,000 feet when it suddenly dropped more than 300 feet in altitude. It then climbed back to its cruising altitude before descending over Lake George, eventually landing in Jacksonville at 3:31 p.m.
A JFRD spokesperson said one person was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
A spokesperson from SkyWest said the flight encountered turbulence, which forced it to divert to JAX. They released the following statement:
“SkyWest Flight 3723, operating as Delta Connection from North Eleuthera, Bahamas (ELH) to Atlanta (ATL), diverted to Jacksonville, Florida (JAX) after encountering turbulence. The aircraft landed safely in Jacksonville and was met by medical personnel upon arrival, where one crewmember was transported to the hospital for evaluation. The safety and wellbeing of everyone onboard is our highest priority, and we are working closely with our partner Delta to support all customers and resume their travels safely to Atlanta. We thank our crewmembers for their professionalism and care.”