A Ryanair aircraft carrying passengers from Birmingham to Tenerife was forced to turn back on Sunday after encountering severe turbulence while cruising at 35,000ft above France.
Flight FR1121, a Boeing 737 MAX, departed Birmingham Airport at approximately 2.50pm before the incident occurred over Brittany. The violent conditions struck without warning, throwing travellers from their seats while cabin crew were serving refreshments.
Multiple passengers sustained injuries during the sudden turbulence, prompting the pilot to declare a general emergency and reverse course back to the UK. One passenger, a 33-year-old woman from Lichfield who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the harrowing ordeal to Birmingham Live.
"It felt like something you see on a horror movie," she said. "We were smooth cruising then out of nowhere all of a sudden the plane jerked to the left extremely quickly and then to the right, it felt like a loss of control, and then we plummeted down and we were flung out of our seats."
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The woman said she escaped physical harm but described the psychological impact as devastating. "The cabin crew said within their 10 years as cabin crew they've never experienced anything like it," she added.
The aircraft transmitted a 7700 squawk code over Brittany, signalling a general emergency to air traffic control. Following the turbulence, the Boeing descended rapidly from its cruising altitude to 10,000ft before heading back towards Birmingham.
The plane touched down safely approximately one hour and 32 minutes after its initial departure. Upon arrival, the aircraft was directed to a remote stand away from the main terminal, where paramedics were waiting to assess and treat those who had been hurt.
The full extent of passenger injuries has not yet been confirmed. Some travellers reported seeing a fighter jet pass nearby moments before the incident, although this remains unverified.
Ryanair confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday evening
| RYANAIRThe airline confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday evening. A Ryanair spokesman said: "FR1121 from Birmingham to Tenerife on 28th December returned to Birmingham Airport shortly after take-off due to air turbulence. "The aircraft landed normally before passengers disembarked and returned to the terminal, where a small number of passengers were provided with medical assistance. This flight continued to Tenerife at 9.06pm local."
Passengers were able to reboard after receiving treatment, with the journey to the Canary Islands eventually resuming several hours behind schedule.
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