DENVER, July 21 (UPI) -- At least 25 people were injured Tuesday when a United Airlines jetliner encountered turbulence during a flight from Washington to Los Angeles, the airline said.
Flight 967 -- a Boeing 777 with 255 passengers and 10 crews members on board -- was diverted to Denver International Airport, where it landed at about 7:45 p.m. MDT. Twenty-one of the injured people were taken to five Denver-area hospitals, The Denver Post reported, citing Denver Medical Health Center.
Four of the injured were flight attendants and the rest were passengers, United spokesman Michael Trevino said. Many passengers from the diverted flight were sent on to Los Angeles on a special flight, he said.
Denver Fire Department spokesman Eric Tade said most of the injuries were "walking injuries" -- bruises, whiplash injuries, strains and sprains – the Post reported.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus said Flight 967 was flying at 34,000 feet when the pilot radioed air traffic controllers to report "moderate to severe turbulence."
FAA officials were on hand at Denver to inspect the plane, the Post said. Inspectors found damage to overhead bins and arm rests but no sign of damage to the plane's exterior.
