23 September 2023 , 15:03
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Dramatic footage shows passengers screaming as their aircraft experiences severe turbulence during a thunderstorm.
The frightful scene was captured aboard Juneyao Airlines flight HO1188 on September 18. One passenger, who only wants to be referred to as Mr Wang, filmed the video, and said the flight was originally scheduled to travel from Hailar, in China's Inner Mongolia Region, to Shenyang, located in Liaoning Province.
But due to a fierce storm, the aircraft had to make an unscheduled stop at Changbai Mountain Airport, which is nearly 200 miles from its original destination. Mr Wang said: "I received a weather alert message locally, but I didn't pay much attention to it because the flight was scheduled to depart. We boarded the plane."
Passengers are seen in the clip screaming and crying (AsiaWire)
The Juneyao Airlines flight experienced severe turbulence (AsiaWire)When the aircraft was approaching Shenyang, aircrew informed passengers the plane couldn't descend because of the conditions. Mr Wang said: "The aircraft kept circling, and at around 9:00 pm, it made an unscheduled landing at Changbai Mountain Airport."
Throughout this period, the plane experienced severe turbulence multiple times, causing significant shaking inside the cabin. Footage captured by Mr Wang on his phone shows passengers screaming and crying as they feared they might crash. The flight was supposed to be a 40-minute journey, but ended up taking nearly one hour and a half before finally successfully landing in Shenyang.
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He said: "We encountered significant turbulence, a feeling of weightlessness as if we were descending, and everyone was screaming."
As per his knowledge, no one was injured on the plane. After landing, everyone applauded." The airline later said: "The passengers safely arrived in Shenyang at 11:18 pm, and the significant turbulence was due to weather conditions."
Last month, a flight for Atlanta, Georgia, hit such bad turbulence that even the crew was jolted around in their seats. Paramedics dashed to the airport in Atlanta after passengers and crew suffered injuries during the ordeal. Eleven people were taken to hospital with minor injuries. One couple, who had been booked on an interconnecting flight from the airport, chose to rent a car and drive to their final destination instead following the shock.