Passengers Recall Turbulent Jet Blue Flight Bound For Sacramento

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — "It was in seconds," said one passenger.

"Everything kind of just went up, shoes in the air," said another passenger.

"I went flying way up in the air and my laptop went up in the air," said Charlie Jaudkins, who was also on Jet Blue Flight 429 from Boston to Sacramento.

There were terrifying moments in the skies over the Midwest.

"A bunch of people got hurt," said Jaudkins, "a bunch of stuff fell down all over them."

With more than 150 people on board Flight 429, they approached some storms near South Dakota.

"We go right into this huge cloud, boom," said Jaudkins, "I flew up way in the air. The whole plane shook."

"It can be pretty hair raising from time to time," said Steven Thompson.

He is a pilot and flight instructor at Executive Fliers Inc. He says what the people on board experienced is likely an air pocket called a micro-burst.

"Downdrafts as high as 6,000 feet per minute," said Thompson.

Thompson says traveling through storms can be bumpy, but there's no way to prepare for the sudden bursts.

"When you're being pushed down at that rate, it's a tremendous force," he explained.

The plane was diverted to Rapid City, South Dakota. Twenty two passengers and two crew members were hurt. One passenger tweeted, he saw a flight attendant hit the ceiling.

"They asked for help and I was the only physician on board," said Dr. Allen Lee of Folsom.

Lee attended to some of the bruised and battered.

"Mainly just making sure there was nothing life threatening," said Lee.

He says the shaky ride rocked people's nerves.

"It was more peace of mind than anything else," said Lee.

More than 14 hours later, the people not taken to the hospital were wheels down on a different plane in Sacramento.

"I'm going to sleep good tonight," said Jaudkins.

The people hurt during the flight were booked thorough other airlines to get to their final destination.