Southwest Airlines flight WN4273, operating a routine scheduled flight between New Orleans and Orlando, was forced to divert to Tampa due to injuries sustained from heavy turbulence. The incident has triggered an investigation by the FAA.
The affected rotation was operated by N567WN, a 21.5-year-old Boeing 737-700 that originally belonged to WestJet and was later acquired by Southwest Airlines. The airline has 382 of the 737-700 variant in its fleet, with an average fleet age of 18.6 years.
Departing New Orleans at 0644 local time, the flight encountered severe turbulence prompting the crew to divert to Tampa. Despite the turbulence, the aircraft landed safely in Tampa without further incident.
During the turbulence, one passenger and one flight attendant sustained injuries. The severity of the injuries and the current condition of the individuals have not been disclosed.
