Pilots Blame Control Issue After Loss of Altitude Causes Injuries

A JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark made an emergency landing in Tampa on Thursday after a sudden loss of altitude injured more than 15 passengers. The airline said its Airbus A320 was en route to Newark Liberty International Airport in calm weather conditions, ABC News reports. The problem was a flight control issue rather than turbulence, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement, per WPIX. The plane had maintained an altitude of 35,000 feet for about a half-hour after takeoff before descending to Tampa International Airport in 15 minutes, FlightAware information shows.

Medical personnel met the plane after it landed to evaluate passengers and crew members, per WTVT. Tampa Fire Rescue officials said 15 to 20 passengers were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The aircraft has been taken out of service while the FAA and JetBlue conduct investigations into what caused the sudden loss of altitude.