It was supposed to be a sunny getaway to the Canary Islands — but for passengers aboard a Ryanair flight from Birmingham to Tenerife, it turned into a nightmare straight out of a disaster movie.
The Dec. 28 flight had been cruising smoothly when, about 40 minutes in, it hit an extreme pocket of turbulence that sent travelers flying from their seats. One shaken passenger told Birmingham Live it was “like something from a horror movie,” describing how the plane suddenly jerked hard to the left, then to the right, before plummeting.
“We were flung out of our seats — it felt like the plane had lost control,” the 33-year-old woman said. “I came out physically fine, but mentally, it’s been awful. Even the cabin crew said they’d never experienced anything like it.”
The Ryanair Boeing 737-800 had to turn back mid-flight, issuing an emergency 7700 squawk code as it passed over the French coast, before landing safely back in Birmingham. Emergency crews were waiting as a handful of passengers received medical attention.
A spokesperson for Ryanair confirmed the incident, saying the aircraft “returned to Birmingham shortly after takeoff due to air turbulence.” After being checked out on the ground, passengers were rebooked on another flight later that evening, which successfully made it to Tenerife.
Birmingham Airport said standard emergency procedures were followed to support the returning aircraft.
For many onboard, though, the trip’s terrifying twist will be hard to forget.
Source: PEOPLE, Birmingham Live, Daily Express, Independent.