An episode of intense turbulence on an Air China flight travelling from Shanghai to Beijing led to a chaotic situation onboard, leaving several passengers injured and many others shaken. The passengers and crew on the Airbus A330, which took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on July 10, narrated their terrifying experiences, revealing how they felt tossed around when the sudden turbulence hit.
About 40 minutes before the aircraft was due to land at Beijing Capital International Airport, it encountered severe turbulence. Passengers reported to the People’s Daily about the abrupt drop in altitude, which happened when many were out of their seats to use the restroom.
Palaeobiologist Xing Lida, a Beijing-based scientist who studies fossils, described the alarming scenario on his Weibo account. The first half of the flight was smooth, he noted, but the sudden descent sent a wave of panic through the cabin. He recounted, “A couple of seconds later there was another fierce descent which threw a passenger who was not in her seat and a flight attendant who was helping her at the time flying up to the ceiling.”
The violent jolting damaged parts of the aircraft’s interior, smashing an exit sign and revealing wires and pipes from the damaged ceiling. “The flight attendant’s waist was injured and her hand was bleeding. The passenger’s head and feet were also injured,” Xing reported.
Despite the terrifying incident, Xing lauded the flight attendants for their composure and professionalism. He wrote, “They must have been terrified, but they put the protection of passengers first…They were professional and calm.”
Air China confirmed the clear sky turbulence event in a statement, praising the crew for their adherence to safety procedures. The company said, “During this process, a passenger and a flight attendant were injured. After the plane landed, we sent staff with them to hospital to receive medical treatment. We send our best wishes to the injured passenger and the employee.”
Eyewitness accounts further described the chaotic scene with pillows and water bottles thrown into the air and debris scattered across the aisles. Photos taken by passengers and circulated online corroborated these stories. On landing, passengers reportedly broke out in spontaneous applause, thankful for the ordeal’s end.
The incident drew considerable attention on Weibo, with a story about the turbulence gathering 200 million views. Commenters shared their fear and concern over the turbulence, with one expressing reluctance to fly again. Despite the harrowing experience, the recurring advice was to keep seatbelts fastened at all times during the flight.
READ MORE: