''Like a horror film'': Passengers describe terrifying turbulence on Ryanair flight from Alicante
Several people needed medical treatment after a Ryanair flight bound for Liverpool was hit by violent turbulence
"We thought we were going to die." That's how passengers have described the terrifying few seconds when their Ryanair flight from Alicante to Liverpool was hit by violent turbulence so severe that people and crew members were thrown from their seats and struck the cabin ceiling.
Flight FR9887 had been due to leave Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport at 4.35pm on Friday July 10, eventually taking off shortly after 6pm. About an hour into the journey, the plane hit a patch of turbulence that shook the cabin without warning.
One passenger, who'd still had his headphones in at the time, said the plane began shaking from side to side before suddenly dropping.
"It was like a horror film," he said. "Stuff went flying everywhere."
The aircraft briefly levelled out before dropping again moments later, an experience one passenger described as the more frightening of the two.
"Everyone was screaming and crying," they said. "The air hostesses went up in the air. It levelled off and calmed down for a couple of seconds. Then it went again."
According to accounts from those on board, the pilot later told passengers the plane had dropped around 300 feet, roughly 90 metres, in a matter of seconds. This detail hasn't been confirmed by Ryanair or aviation authorities and comes solely from passengers themselves.
Drinks were sent flying through the cabin during the incident, leaving several people covered in coffee, and passengers described seeing others with visible injuries once they were finally able to leave the aircraft, including someone wearing a neck brace and another passenger with blood on his face.
Some also said a young woman needed to be stretchered off after hitting the ceiling, and that a flight attendant was taken to hospital with a knee injury, although again these details haven't been confirmed officially.
With passengers shaken and some in need of medical attention, the crew made the decision to divert to Nantes in western France, where emergency services and medical staff were waiting on the runway. A small number of passengers were taken for treatment once the plane had landed safely.
Ryanair confirmed the flight had experienced turbulence and diverted to Nantes as a result, but the airline hasn't given further detail on how many people were injured or how serious those injuries were. A replacement aircraft was arranged for the remaining passengers, who waited it out at the French terminal before finally departing for Liverpool at 12.20am on the Saturday.
For some passengers, the anxiety has lingered well after the flight itself. One described being unable to stop replaying the moment even days later.
"The other day, I closed my eyes and I was back there," they said. "It was more the anxiety for me that that could happen anytime, anywhere."
Another passenger said Ryanair's description of the incident as "some air turbulence mid-flight" felt like a significant understatement of what had actually happened on board.
Image: Ryanair
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