Diverted To Tampa, At Least 15 Taken To Hospitals

A JetBlue Airways flight enroute from Cancun, Mexico, to New Jersey was forced to divert to Tampa after an apparent flight control issue and a sudden loss of altitude that caused numerous injuries to passengers and crew.

The JetBLue flight was an Airbus A320 that departed Cancun International Airport (CUN / MMUN) for Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) when it made an emergency landing at Tampa International Airport (TPA) at about 2:19 ET.

JetBlue said, “We will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause.” The FAA will also conduct an investigation into the incident.

According to Vivian Shedd for Tampa Fire Rescue, the flight was met by medical personnel on the ground, and it was reported that 15-20 people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The airline said the "flight was met by medical personnel who evaluated customers and crewmembers, and those needing additional care were transported to a local hospital.” It added that the A320 was taken out of service to perform an inspection to determine the cause.

"The safety of our customers and crewmembers is always our first priority, and we will work to support those involved," JetBlue said.

Audio captured by LiveATC.net indicated that the pilots reported a “flight control issue” and mentioned possible “laceration in the head.”

FMI:  www.jetblue.com/