KEY WEST, Fla. — An American Eagle flight bound for Key West encountered a severe pocket of turbulence over Florida on Friday, October 9, 2026, causing the aircraft to suddenly plunge 400 feet and disengage its autopilot system.
Flight AA3368, operated by Envoy Air as American Eagle, departed Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Friday afternoon. The Embraer E175 Regional Jet (registration N228NN) executed a standard takeoff from runway 1R and climbed smoothly to its cruising altitude of 32,000 feet.
While en route over Florida, the aircraft flew into an unpredicted band of severe atmospheric turbulence. The violent jolting caused the regional jet to instantly lose 400 feet of altitude. The extreme force of the drop was strong enough to automatically disengage—or “knock off”—the autopilot system, forcing the flight crew to take manual control of the aircraft to stabilize it.
Following the event, the pilots reported the encounter over the radio, confirming they had just passed through a major pocket of severe turbulence. To ensure structural integrity and passenger safety, the captain immediately requested that a ground maintenance team be on standby to inspect the aircraft upon arrival.
Despite the disruption, the pilots safely navigated the Embraer 175 to its final destination. Flight AA3368 touched down safely on the runway at Key West International Airport (EYW) at 7:33 PM EDT, approximately 45 minutes behind schedule.
Ground crews at Key West inspected the regional jet following its arrival to verify that the airframe and systems were undamaged before clearing the plane for subsequent operations.
