6 hurt as severe turbulence rocks US Airways flight out of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA -- Four passengers and two crew members were injured Sunday afternoon when a flight out of Philadelphia encountered severe turbulence, reports CBS Philadelphia.

Officials say US Airways Flight 735, and Airbus A330, departed Philadelphia International Airport just before 4 p.m. for Orlando, Fla.

Shortly after takeoff, when the flight was about 17,000 feet in the air, it was forced to turn back due to the turbulence.

Five of the flight's 265 passengers and 10 crew members were taken to the hospital to be examined. Another passenger was examined on the scene.

"It was a crazy experience," passenger Victoria Rains told the station. "We were just up in the air, like, lifted out of our seats, seeing things flying all over the place. I got sick from it. ... It was really scary. It was a terrifying experience."

Fellow passenger Venus Desue told CBS Philadelphia, "Twenty minutes into the flight, all of a sudden, we just felt this boom. And the plane felt like it dropped 20 feet down. Shoes were flying. Cell phones were flying. People were screaming. And it was very, very, very scary."

The airline brought in a new crew and plane for those who wanted to continue on to Orlando.