WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A JetBlue Airways ( JBLU )

flight on Thursday en route from Cancun, Mexico, to New

Jersey diverted to Tampa after suffering a flight control issue

and a sudden drop in altitude that resulted in some injuries,

the Federal Aviation Administration and airline said.

JetBlue Flight 1230 on an Airbus A320 departed

Cancun International Airport in Mexico and was headed to New

Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport when it made an

emergency landing around 2:19 p.m. ET (1819 GMT) at Tampa,

Florida. The FAA is investigating the incident.

JetBlue ( JBLU ) said the aircraft experienced a drop in altitude and

the "flight was met by medical personnel who evaluated customers

and crewmembers, and those needing additional care were

transported to a local hospital."

Local media outlets quoted Tampa Fire Rescue as saying

about 15 to 20 people were taken to local hospitals with

non-life-threatening injuries. JetBlue ( JBLU ) did not say how many

people were injured.

The plane was removed from service for inspection, and the

airline said it would conduct a full investigation to determine

the cause. "The safety of our customers and crewmembers is

always our first priority, and we will work to support those

involved," JetBlue ( JBLU ) said.

There have been a number of serious aviation incidents this

year due to turbulence or sudden drops in altitude. The National

Transportation Safety Board is investigating a Delta Air Lines ( DAL )

flight in July from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Amsterdam

which experienced severe turbulence that injured 25 people and

was diverted to Minneapolis.