Seven customers and one crew member were taken to the hospital after a JetBlue Airlines flight encountered "sudden severe turbulence" early Monday as it neared Florida, the airline said.

       Flight 1256 from Guayaquil, Ecuador, landed safely at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport where it was met by medical personnel. The plane has since been taken out of service, JetBlue said.

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       The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate. The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.

       Last month, 14 were injured after a Delta Air Lines plane experienced sudden turbulence on approach to Atlanta. In August, two flight attendants were injured after a United Airlines flight from Newark to Punta Cana experienced turbulence.

       Last year, the FAA was aware of 17 serious injuries related to turbulence – up from the 13 reported serious injuries in 2019.

       ABC News' Clara McMichael contributed to this report.