JetBlue passengers taken to hospital after abrupt altitude drop forces plane to emergency land

JetBlue passengers were taken to a hospital after an abrupt altitude drop forced a New Jersey-bound flight to make an emergency landing in Florida on Thursday, according to authorities.

The flight from Cancun International Airport in Mexico was traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport when the altitude suddenly plummeted, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

JetBlue passengers were taken to a hospital after an abrupt altitude drop forced a Newark-bound flight to make an emergency landing in Florida on Thursday. Getty Images

The Airbus 320 was diverted to Tampa International Airport around 2 p.m., the FAA said.

It is not immediately clear how many passengers or crew were hospitalized, or how severe their injuries were.

“Our team has taken the aircraft out of service for inspection, and we will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause,” JetBlue said in a statement.

“The safety of our customers and crewmembers is always our first priority, and we will work to support those involved,” the statement said.

The FAA will investigate the incident.

With Post wires