A passenger on the Manchester-bound plane where 11 people were injured during ‘unexpected’ mid-air turbulence said the flight felt like an amusement park ride.
The traveller told the Manchester Evening News that it ‘felt like Oblivion at Alton Towers’ when the plane ‘literally just dropped’ two-and-a-half hours into the flight.
Despite being ‘loosely’ belted in, the traveller said she ‘did feel myself lift off the chair’ and said it felt as if ‘you could have been pulled off the seat’.
She described the incident, which reportedly lasted only a few minutes, as ‘scary’ and ‘sheer chaos’, adding that ‘there was lots of screaming and lights flickering’.
There were 225 passengers and 13 crew members aboard chartered Maleth Aero Flight 1975 when it took off from Barbados on December 23. The Airbus A300-200 experienced severe ‘clear-air turbulences’ while cruising at 38,000 ft and the plane was diverted to Bermuda.
Eleven passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Nine have already been discharged. The plane’s 13 crew members were unharmed.
A passenger on the Manchester-bound plane where 11 people were injured during ‘unexpected’ mid-air turbulence said that it ‘felt like Oblivion at Alton Towers’ when the plane ‘literally just dropped’ two-and-a-half hours into the flight (stock photo)
Two-and-a-half hours after Maleth Aero Flight 1975 had taken off from Barbados, the Airbus A300-200 experienced severe ‘clear-air turbulences’ while cruising at 38,000 ft
The traveller said that the ‘unexpected’ turbulence that impacted Flight 1975 was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
She recalled how ‘everything was fine’, passengers were using the toilet and the air stewards were serving drinks when the plane suddenly dropped.
‘I’ve had turbulence on a plane before and its just like a bit of rocking back and forth – but this was a proper drop,’ she told the newspaper.
The woman added that she and her partner, like their fellow passengers, have now unexpectedly spent Christmas in Bermuda.
The 225 passengers and 13 crew members aboard the chartered plane serving passengers on a P&O cruise were expecting to make it home for the holidays, after they took off from Barbados just before midnight on December 23.
But due to the incident, the passengers were forced to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day away from their families.
The traveller said the hotel they were put up in is ‘lovely’ but claims communication surrounding their return to the UK has been ‘frustrating’. She alleged their flights keep changing and they don’t have a clear idea of what is happening.
A replacement plane is reportedly set to take off 4pm on Boxing Day, arriving back in Britain in the early hours of Wednesday, 27 December.
Bermuda’s acting minister of National Security, Owen Darrell, said: ‘We are aware of the situation and are diligently working to ensure the well-being of all involved. We are extremely grateful for the quick response of all our emergency services personnel who ensured the safety of the passengers and crew.’
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: ‘A flight from Barbados to Manchester was diverted to Bermuda earlier yesterday morning following freak (unexpected) turbulence.
‘Having explored all flying options and due to airport operating times, guests are in hotels today [25 December].
‘The flight home is due to depart tomorrow morning, 26 December, following required legislative aircraft checks.
‘We are very sorry for this disruption to their journey following their holiday and we are working with the airline and hotels to take care of them and ensure they get home as soon as possible tomorrow.’