By Danny Valentine and Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
TAMPA — Twelve people suffered minor injuries Wednesday morning when a United Airlines flight from Tampa encountered severe turbulence over Lake Charles, La., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Emergency personnel met the Boeing 737 as it landed at 7:30 a.m. at Houston International Airport. The plane had 152 passengers, according to the Houston Fire Department.
All of the injured were passengers, not crew members. Eight were transported to area hospitals, said Fire Department spokeswoman Ericka Duckworth.
Officials determined the injuries were a result of the turbulence, which the pilot reported encountering over Lake Charles.
Flight 1727 left Tampa at 6:30 a.m., said Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Janet Zink.
The turbulence was part of a large area of disturbed weather that brought tornadoes to the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday, said Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokesman.
The National Weather Service said as many as a dozen twisters touched down in a wrecking-ball swath of violent weather that stretched across Dallas and Fort Worth. Though no one was killed, hundreds of homes were damaged and thousands were left without power in a reminder of the destruction that can occur during tornado season.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at (813) 226-3433 or jvandervelde@tampabay.com.