Turbulence tosses passenger into overhead bin on Air Europa flight. Watch

The mid-air turbulence was so intense that passengers were thrown off their seats, with one passenger reportedly getting stuck in an overhead compartment

An Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner en route from Madrid, Spain, to Montevideo, Uruguay, encountered severe turbulence on Monday, necessitating an emergency landing in Brazil and resulting in injuries to 30 passengers, The New York Post reported.   

The turbulence was so violent that passengers were thrown from their seats. Among them, one passenger reportedly got stuck in an overhead compartment.

The dramatic incident unfolded mid-air, prompting Flight UX045 to divert to Natal airport in northeast Brazil. Passengers shared harrowing videos of the aftermath, showing significant cabin damage. One video captured the shocking image of a man’s feet protruding from an overhead bin, while others depicted huddled passengers attempting to pull him down, accompanied by the cries of a distressed baby in the background.

 

Turbulencia en viaje de Air Europa de Madrid a Montevideo, aterrizaron en Natal, sanos y salvos!???????????????? pic.twitter.com/rc2qAZ2IHn

— Alice958 (@alice958) July 1, 2024

The turbulence wreaked havoc inside the aircraft, with footage revealing torn ceiling panels, a destroyed seat, and oxygen masks hanging from above. Despite the chaos, the flight, carrying 325 passengers, landed safely.

#INCIDENTE | Al menos 30 pasajeros resultaron heridos cuando el vuelo UX045 de Air Europa, un Boeing 787-9 que viajaba de Madrid a Montevideo, encontró severas turbulencias temprano esta mañana.
Tras el incidente, el vuelo fue desviado a Natal, Brasil, donde los heridos… pic.twitter.com/ksXFTxB49d

— Aviación Guayaquil (@AviacionGYE) July 1, 2024

In a statement, Air Europa confirmed the successful landing and ongoing medical treatment for the injured. “The plane has landed normally, and the injuries of varying degrees that were recorded are already being treated,” the airline said.

A passenger, Norys, recounted the terrifying experience, describing how he was enjoying his flight when the captain issued a turbulence warning, urging everyone to fasten their seatbelts. 

“A long time after that, there was a very, very slight turbulence, it was barely felt, and from one moment to the next the plane abruptly fell and we all went up,” the passenger told Uruguayan outlet El Observador. “Those who did not have seatbelts flew and some remained hooked to the roof,” he said.

Another passenger, Juan, likened the ordeal to a ‘horror movie’ and described it as a near-death experience. “The sensation was one of terror, the feeling that you are falling and that it does not end. And you are aware that you are falling at an incalculable speed. And you felt that it ended there, that you died,” he told El Observador.
 

The injured passengers were taken to Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital in Natal, with transportation being arranged for their return to Montevideo, said Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry.

Air Europa said it has arranged for a new flight to depart from Madrid to pick up the remaining passengers who opted not to take a bus ride back to Uruguay.