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'Lot of broken glass': Seven hospitalized after Lufthansa plane struck by lightning has 1,000ft 'free fall'

Lufthansa Flight 469 hit a wave of turbulence at 37,000 feet on Wednesday, March 1, while flying over Tennessee.

WASHINGTON, DC: At least seven people were hospitalized after a Lufthansa Airlines flight from Austin to Frankfurt was forced to make an emergency landing in Washington DC after being struck by lightning. The plane reportedly had a 1,000ft "free fall" while the seatbelt sign was turned off.

Passengers were left screaming in terror as they were surrounded by a "lot of broken glass" and blood everywhere after Lufthansa Flight 469 hit a wave of turbulence at 37,000ft on Wednesday, March 1, while flying over Tennessee. The flight was ultimately diverted to Washington-Dulles International Airport around 9 pm, just three hours into the 10.5-hour flight to Germany.

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A passenger's husband wrote on Twitter that "people who didn't have the seat belts fastened got hurt mostly cause it came as surprise" after the plane was struck by lightning. He posted a photo sent by his wife showing food trays, containers and silverware scattered across the aisle after the emergency landing. 

Another passenger on the flight told The Washington Post that the plane went into "free fall" just as the crew was preparing for dinner service, sending people "flying into the air, hitting and even damaging the ceiling of the plane.” The passenger, who spoke anonymously out of concern that Lufthansa would not provide compensation, noted how someone in the seat in front of them was "badly hurt” with blood spattered over their seat. They said they were traveling with a companion and that both were unharmed, albeit their clothes were soiled with food and wine. The passenger said the airline paid for a hotel room and taxi but did not help with other expenses.

Another individual, whose sister and brother-in-law were on the plane, said it was "exceptionally scary, [with] lots of broken glass and screaming and multiple injuries," as quoted by The Sun. Lufthansa provided passengers a link to request a refund after one disgruntled passenger posted on Twitter, "Many of our plans have been affected, our clothes are ruined, and we definitely expect far more than just a hotel tonight. We would like to get immediate help and compensation for the catastrophic forced landing incident involving LH469." 

It's worth noting that the airline is providing hotel accommodations for the affected passengers, one of whom thanked the crew members for taking care of them during the harrowing ordeal. "@lufthansa thank you so much for your incredible care of Flt 469 tonight! My family will be eternally grateful for the skill of the pilot and co-pilot and the care from the crew," they tweeted.

An investigation by the FAA is underway. The National Weather Service describes turbulence as the irregular motion of air resulting from eddies and vertical currents, sometimes sending passengers to hospitals and causing unexpected landings. NBC News reported how 25 people on a Hawaiian Airlines flight were hurt after a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu experienced turbulence in December 2022. And in June the same year, eight people were hurt during a flight from Florida to Tennessee which diverted to Alabama following a turbulent episode.