Passengers can be heard screaming in a heart-stopping video of a plane hit by heavy turbulence.
The phone footage, recorded on a domestic flight to Chengdu, in China’s south-western Sichuan Province, also shows terrified passengers holding on tightly as the plane jolts around.
The flight from Lhasa, in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, reportedly hit severe turbulence at an altitude of 10,000 metres [32,808 feet].
As well as screams, an air steward can be heard addressing the passengers on the speaker system in an effort to keep them calm. Although at points she doesn’t sound too calm herself.
According to Chinese media, the plane landed safely at its destination.
One passenger later said: ‘The flight attendant’s voice changed a bit. Passengers were applauding when we landed safely.’
The video was shared on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok and has been shared thousands of times.
One user, Bingor, said: ‘The oxygen mask above your head hasn’t fallen off yet, so don’t panic. If it does not fall, there’s no point in panicking.’
While another, R Yu, added: ‘I feel like the flight attendant is talking and her voice so shaky, she was almost crying. She was probably scared to tears too.’
Last year at least seven people were injured on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Hawaii to Australia when their plane was hit by severe turbulence.
‘The plane just dropped. We weren’t prepared,’ passenger Sultan Baskonyali told ABC News.
She recalled one man going upward, hitting his head on the ceiling and dropping back down.
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