'We thought we would die': Passengers thrown into ceiling during terrifying flight
Thirteen flight passengers and four crew members were hospitalized after severe turbulence struck an Air India plane, triggering an aviation investigation.
Seventeen people were injured after an Air India flight experienced severe turbulence, sending passengers into the ceiling and aisle during a sudden loss of altitude.
The flight — traveling from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi, on Tuesday, August 4 — experienced what the airline described as a "sudden loss of altitude" while cruising. The aircraft continued flying normally and landed safely in Delhi, an Air India spokesperson said in a statement posted on X.
The flight was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. Thirteen passengers and four crew members were injured and taken to hospitals for medical evaluation, the airline said.
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Five passengers were discharged as of Monday evening, while the remaining injured passengers and crew members continued receiving treatment, the airline added.
"Air India’s foremost priority remains the safety and well-being of its passengers and crew. We will continue to support those affected and their families and will work closely with the relevant authorities throughout the course of the investigation," the airline said in its statement.
The aircraft briefly lost about 300 feet in altitude during the turbulence, The Times of India reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to Air India for further comment.
"It's very unusual but not rare to have serious turbulence incidents," Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital in an interview.
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"For there to be an injury of some kind in turbulence is about one in 1.2 million departures."
Leff advised travelers to always take precautions. "You should still wear your seatbelt when you're seated on the plane," he said.
"Four of the six flight attendants on board this flight were hurt," he added.
"They're up in the aisles, they're working, they don't have the opportunity most of the time to stay belted. It is more dangerous."
The force of the turbulence left visible damage throughout the cabin.
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The overhead compartments were damaged, with the lids torn off and strewn across the cabin floor along with the belongings of those onboard, according to news agency Viral Press.
In the aftermath of the chaos, a flight attendant on board can be heard saying in a video taken on board: "Don't panic. Don't panic. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down."
She continued, "Everybody, please fasten your seatbelt. This is an emergency, please fasten your seatbelt. Nobody should get up. Fasten your seatbelt. … Go back to your seat. Please sit down. Sit down. Go back to your seat. Please sit down. Sit down," she reiterated.
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Passengers on the flight later described terrifying moments inside the cabin as people were thrown from their seats and into the ceiling.
"It was a traumatic experience. My father was sitting next to me, and when this happened, his head touched the ceiling," Palak Raniwala, the daughter of one of the injured passengers, told news agency ANI. "It was a terrifying experience for all of us."
Raniwala said the turbulence was unlike anything her family had experienced before and recalled hearing panic in the voices of the crew.
"The flight attendants were panicking, and the pilot himself seemed rattled — you could hear the nervousness in his voice," she told ANI. "The whole situation left us terrified."
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Another passenger, identified as Viviana, told the outlet that the flight appeared to be operating normally before the turbulence suddenly struck.
"The aircraft seemed to be moving normally, but suddenly the turbulence began," she told ANI. "I saw my sister thrown into the air from her seat. My mother was knocked on the head.
"We thought we would die. It was really scary. I was shaking and crying," the woman added.
Leff said the passengers who are hurt are usually the ones who are being "thrown about the cabin."
"Even a loosely fit seatbelt is going to be protection in that event," he said.
He added, "Flying is still a lot safer than driving. If you drive, you shouldn't be concerned with flying."
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