People thrown 'like little rag dolls' in JetBlue turbulence

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — People were "thrown around like little rag dolls" when turbulence rocked a JetBlue flight from Massachusetts to California, a passenger said today, in an incident that left more than 20 people injured and forced an unscheduled landing in South Dakota.

The New York-based airline said Flight 429 was traveling from Boston to Sacramento with 146 passengers and five crew members on board Thursday evening, when it hit major turbulence and chaos ensued.

Passenger Rhonda Lynam said the plane began to rock as it went "right through a black cloud."

"It was like a movie. It was just crazy," Lynam said this morning from a hotel in Rapid City, S.D., where the plane was diverted to the night before. "We started hopping all over the air, and then all of a sudden, it, like an elevator, just dropped. And when that happened, even people who had their seatbelts on flew out of their seats. I did, my mom did."

Lynam, of Pacific, Grove, Calif., said overhead compartments flew open and luggage tumbled out. She described seeing wallets, sunglasses, sugar packets and other items on the floor when the aircraft landed.

She said the seatbelt sign was on when turbulence rocked the plane.

"We are really sore, we got pretty banged up, thrown around like little rag dolls," she said. "We are still kind of in shock."