A SkyWest airlines flight was on its way to Connecticut when the pilot suddenly had to divert its direction and make an emergency landing in New York. Flying at an altitude of 38,000 feet, the plane had to make a steep plunge of 28,000 feet within just 8 minutes.

The plane had 75 passengers on board when it departed from the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. It was headed for Bradley International Airport in Connecticut but had to do an emergency landing at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York.

The pilot decided to divert the plane's direction upon learning that three passengers lost consciousness while on board.

"We leveled out at 10,000 feet, and that was pretty darn scary," said Vanessa Bergmann, a resident of Amherst, Massachusetts, after the plane landed. She added that passengers on the plane seemed deeply concerned when the pilot plunged the aircraft at such high altitude and in just a matter of minutes.

"It would feel like a roller coaster - when you're coming over the top and you're going down," said Mary Schiavo, an aviation analyst. "You know that these pilots knew they were in a very grave and very serious situation."

There were 15 more adults and two children that were evaluated when the plane landed. However, none of them were required to be treated outside the airport, according to C. Douglas Hartmayer, an airport spokesman.

"Anyone who said they didn't feel well was treated at the gate," said Hartmayer.

Initial reports on the plane's situation indicated that one of its cabin doors opened which led to a loss in cabin pressure. The assumption was made after the pilot sent out a radio report to air traffic control. Eventually, the issue on losing air pressure was ruled out as the reason for the plane's sudden change of direction.

"It was a passenger illness. A passenger lost consciousness," said Marissa Snow, a spokeswoman for SkyWest.

The Federal Aviation Administration amended its previous statement and omitted its mention of the issue on air pressure.

SkyWest Airlines continues to investigate the matter but confirms that the issue on pressurization showed no indication.

"We want to understand the circumstances and what SkyWest knows before we decide what, if any, action we would take," said Kelly Nantel, spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board.

"After examination by maintenance personnel and local authorities, there have been no indications of a pressurization problem or other issues with the aircraft," said Snow. "Our investigation is ongoing."

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