Four flight attendants were injured when United Airlines Flight UA1157, a Boeing 777 flying from Honolulu to Los Angeles, encountered severe turbulence during descent on Wednesday. The aircraft landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport, where medical personnel examined the crew. One flight attendant was taken to hospital for further treatment, while none of the 190 passengers reported injuries.
The turbulence occurred at approximately 25,000–27,000 feet and lasted only several seconds, according to the flight crew’s communication with air traffic control. The pilot described the disturbance as feeling like wake turbulence, but no cause has been confirmed. Wake turbulence remains a possible explanation rather than an established finding.
Flight-tracking data indicated a rapid loss of altitude during the aircraft’s descent, including a drop of about 3,675 feet in one minute. Passenger accounts described a sudden and intense disturbance. The aircraft carried 10 crew members in total and remained on the tarmac for at least 30 minutes after landing while the injured attendants awaited access to a gate and medical assistance.
The condition of the hospitalised flight attendant and the precise nature of the injuries have not been publicly disclosed.