SkyWest Officials: Flight Made Emergency Landing After Passenger Lost Consciousness

A SkyWest Airlines flight from Chicago heading toward Hartford, CT reportedly made an emergency landing in Buffalo today because of a sick passenger, the airline said.

The plane was coming from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and flying to Bradley International Airport outside Hartford, Connecticut when it instead landed at Buffalo Niagara International Airport when a passenger became ill and lost consciousness, the airline said, according to the Buffalo News.

“The flight landed safely in Buffalo, where the passenger received medical attention before being released. We are working to accommodate the 75 passengers to Hartford,” an official reportedly said.

The regional jet operating as United Express Flight 5622 under SkyWest was carrying 75 passengers and four crew at the time, according to Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and Skywest Airlines officials.

“I know that everyone has been checked out and cleared by EMTs, and nobody has been transported to the hospital,” a SkyWest spokesman told the Buffalo News.

Other reports had blamed the landing on reports of a door opening in mid-air, while NBC News reported earlier that the government had indicated a loss of cabin pressure as the reason for the emergency landing, and that several passengers lost consciousness.

Regional jet diverted to Buffalo airport after passenger loses consciousness [Buffalo News]
SkyWest Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Buffalo [NBC News]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.