Thirty passengers and crew were injured on a bumpy flight from Chengdu to Beijing when a Chinese aircraft was caught in strong turbulence during descent.
The Hainan Airlines flight experienced strong turbulence at an altitude of 4,200 metres after it had already started descending, but managed to land safely at Beijing Capital International Airport the airline said in a statement.
Of the 30 people who were injured, 23 are hospitalised for further examination and observation while seven others were treated for minor injuries.
Hainan Airlines said the cause of the bumpy ride was "pending investigation" and Lin, an injured passenger on the flight said many on board were not wearing their seatbelts, and they bounced immediately.
"We heard two alarms at around 2:00 pm which were immediately followed by weightlessness. I didn't buckle up, so I was directly thrown to the ceiling and landed on the row behind us," Lin was quoted as saying by state-run media.
Another passenger shared the experience on her Weibo account named "PhotoByJade" said it was the worst turbulence she had encountered in years of flying.
"I was really scared seeing the injuries in the back rows and hearing the passenger announcement mixed with the air stewards' tearful voices," she wrote.
While the investigation is still ongoing, it is too early to rule whether the pilots made any errors.
Industry insiders said that bumps could occur at any altitude and in any weather conditions, including in clear skies in the case of the Hainan Airlines flight.
