7 hurt after Newark-bound United flight experiences turbulence

Seven people were hurt, none seriously, after a United Airlines plane headed to a New York City-area airport experienced high winds and turbulence, officials said.

United Airlines Flight 85 from Tel Aviv landed at New York Stewart International Airport instead of Newark, New Jersey, at 6:45 p.m., a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officer said.

Seven people were taken to local hospitals, said Michael Bigg, chief of operations for New Windsor EMS. None of the injuries were serious, but people wanted to be checked out, he said.

Complaints included nausea, motion sickness and chest pain from the turbulence, Bigg said. There were 319 people on the Boeing 787, he said.

“I want to thank all the first responders for their quick, efficient, and professional action,” Orange County, New York, Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said in a statement. “Their collaborative efforts on this Good Friday evening helped alleviate the stress and difficulty of a challenging situation.”

The plane refueled and continued to Newark Liberty International Airport, where it had originally been headed, United Airlines said.

New York Stewart International Airport is in New Windsor, around 60 miles north of the Newark Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident.