American Airlines Flight 174, a Boeing 777-200 carrying 239 people, diverted to JFK less than an hour after departing Raleigh-Durham on July 22 after encountering severe turbulence that injured two flight attendants. The jet performed an overweight landing and touched down safely around 11 p.m. local time. The FAA confirmed the landing and opened an investigation; a November 2025 study cited high rates of turbulence-related injuries, with flight attendants accounting for most crew injuries.
Severe Turbulence Forces American Airlines Flight to Divert to JFK; Two Flight Attendants Injured
Stock image of a commercial plane experiences turbulence in the cabin.Credit: Getty
An American Airlines international flight bound for London diverted to New York after encountering what the crew described as "severe turbulence," injuring two flight attendants and forcing an unscheduled overweight landing.
American Airlines Flight 174, a Boeing 777-200, departed Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) just after 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 22, according to FlightAware. The aircraft was scheduled to continue to London Heathrow on a roughly seven-and-a-half-hour trip.
An American Airlines Boeing 777-200ERCredit: getty
Less than an hour into the flight, the crew elected to divert to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. As the jet approached JFK, the captain reported multiple injuries to air traffic control. In audio published by ATC.com, the pilot states:
"We have two flight attendants injured due to turbulence."
The pilot also informed controllers there were 239 "souls on board" and that the aircraft would perform an overweight landing. An overweight landing occurs when an aircraft touches down above its certified maximum landing weight, which can increase stress on the landing gear and other structural components. To reduce weight before an unplanned touchdown, crews sometimes burn off fuel in flight or, when necessary and permitted, dump fuel.
American Airlines planes park in at the terminal gates of John F. Kennedy International Airport.Credit: getty
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that American Flight 174 "landed safely" at JFK around 11 p.m. local time on Wednesday and said it will investigate the incident. In its preliminary Accident and Incident Notification, the FAA noted that two flight attendants were injured; their conditions were not immediately disclosed.
PEOPLE reported that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK, directed inquiries to American Airlines, and the carrier did not immediately provide additional comment.
Context and Safety Data
Research underscores that turbulence is a frequent cause of crew injuries. A study published in November 2025 via the National Library of Medicine reviewed 136 turbulence-related incidents reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2023. The analysis found 143 serious injuries and 218 minor injuries across those events, and reported that flight attendants were injured in 126 of the incidents—about 93% of the cases.
FAA and airline investigators will continue to examine the circumstances that led to the diversion and the injuries sustained by the two crew members. Turbulence can be sudden and unpredictable; authorities typically review weather, turbulence forecasts, crew reports and flight data when determining causes and potential safety recommendations.
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