Passengers aboard a Liverpool-bound Ryanair flight say they thought they were going to die as severe turbulence hurled people into the ceiling, leaving some with injuries and forcing the aircraft to make an emergency diversion to France.
Ryanair flight FR 9887 was scheduled to depart Alicante at 4.35pm on Friday, July 10, bound for Liverpool John Lennon Airport. After a delayed take-off at 6.05pm, the plane was about an hour into the journey when it was hit by violent turbulence.
“Passengers thought they were going to die after severe turbulence hurled them into the ceiling on a Ryanair flight to Liverpool, forcing an emergency diversion to Nantes.”
The pilot described it as severe turbulence, but one passenger returning from a group holiday told the Liverpool Echo: "I've never known anything like that. It happened really quick. The plane dropped really bad. Everyone was screaming and crying."
During the first drop, cabin crew were thrown into the air. The passenger said: "The air hostesses went up in the air. It levelled off and calmed down for a couple of seconds. Then it went again. During the second time, it was absolutely terrifying."
Fellow travellers desperately tried to hold others down: "Passengers had their hands on people's shoulders and held them down so they wouldn't hit the roof. It was the most terrifying experience."
The pilot told passengers the plane dropped around 300 feet in a couple of seconds. Drinks were thrown onto the ceiling; two girls were covered in coffee. "My friend got covered head to toe in coffee," the passenger added.
The aircraft diverted and landed at Nantes Airport, where paramedics boarded. One girl was taken off on a stretcher after hitting the roof, a flight attendant with a knee injury went to hospital, and a man wore a neck brace. "When they let us off, they asked every one of us if we needed assistance," the passenger said. In the departure lounge, people were covered in coffee and one man had blood on his face.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed: "FR9887 from Alicante to Liverpool Friday, July 10, experienced some air turbulence mid-flight. The aircraft diverted and landed normally at Nantes Airport, and a small group of passengers were taken for medical treatment. A replacement aircraft was arranged and departed for Liverpool at 12.20am local time."
For those on board, the terror of the mid-air ordeal will not be forgotten quickly. "We all thought we were going to die," the passenger said.
