Turbulence aboard Allegiant flight injures 2 passengers, 2 flight attendants

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Officials say two passengers and two flight attendants were injured when a plane plunged nearly a mile during severe turbulence while flying from North Carolina to Florida. Allegiant Air says its flight was traveling Wednesday from Asheville Regional Airport to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, where it landed normally and taxied to the gate under its own power. The plane was carrying 179 passengers and six crew members. A flight-tracking website says the Airbus A320 dropped about 5,000 feet in less than two minutes. Allegiant says airport paramedics met the plane to assess the four injured people. They were taken to a nearby hospital, but officials didn’t immediately provide details about their injuries.