SkyWest Flight 5971, operating as United Express from Aspen, Colorado, to Houston, diverted to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Thursday evening following a severe turbulence encounter and a reported pressurization issue.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Embraer E175 – registered as N110SY – landed safely in Austin around 8 p.m. local time after the crew reported both turbulence and pressurization concerns. The agency confirmed it will investigate the incident and referred further questions to the airline.
An airport spokesperson noted that emergency crews met the aircraft upon arrival. Austin-Travis County EMS evaluated all 39 passengers and four crew members on board. Two adults were transported to local hospitals out of an abundance of caution, though authorities emphasized that no injuries were considered life-threatening.
United flight 5971 (operated by SkyWest) from Aspen to Houston diverted to Austin Thursday evening.
Note the 7,000+ fpm rate of descent in the ADS-B data. An emergency was declared shortly after.
Working to get more details… pic.twitter.com/RJEtOyV0ek
— Ryan Ewing (@FlyingHighRyan) August 29, 2025
The FAA noted these injuries, which involved passengers, as “serious.”
“Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of all onboard and we are working with our partner United to assist customers,” the regional carrier said in a statement.
Loss of Altitude
ADS-B data from Flightradar24 shows that Flight 5971 departed Aspen at 5:02 p.m. local time and was cruising at 39,000 feet near Fort Worth, Texas, when the turbulence event occurred around 7:27 p.m.
A rapid altitude loss of about 4,350 feet took place over a span of 44 seconds, with data briefly recording a barometric vertical rate of minus 11,456 feet per minute.
The aircraft then climbed back toward 37,450 feet before the crew began a descent toward Austin. At 7:30 p.m. local time, the transponder code was switched to 7700, indicating a general emergency, as the diversion continued.
— Pregame (@BrettDeadCenter) August 29, 2025
Photos on social media show oxygen masks deployed in the cabin.
