A United Airlines aircraft flying from Lagos, Nigeria, to Washington DC had to perform an emergency landing on January 24, 2024, after what several sources described as an “unexpected movement” which caused injuries to 38 passengers, six of which had to be hospitalized.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8, had departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos (LOS) at 11:59pm local time with 245 passengers and 11 crew members onboard, and it landed back at the same airport at 3:22am, also local time.
The seriousness of the injuries suffered by the six people that were hospitalized is not fully known, since there have been somehow conflicting reports. While Nigerian aviation authorities said four passengers and two crew members had suffered serious injuries, United Airlines referred to them as minor injury cases and said they had already been released from hospital.
The cause of the incident has not been officially established yet, although videos taken by passengers onboard and later shared online show the likely aftermath of an episode of serious turbulence with items strewn all over the cabin.
