Mid-air disaster: Passengers scream as British Airways crew suffer injuries at 30,000 feet

Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport experienced a horrifying ordeal when their peaceful journey turned into a something out of a nightmare.

Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries, and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.

The turbulence struck suddenly and forcefully over the Bay of Bengal, resulting in sustained and intense shaking of the plane.




compressed-british-g733e6d611_1280.jpeg
The crew members aboard the BA12 flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport suffered injuries when the plane encountered intense and prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Image by bilaleldaou from Pixabay



The crew members on board the BA12 flight suffered significant harm, with one experiencing a dislocated ankle, another currently undergoing an MRI scan for severe hip bruising, and a third undergoing surgery on their ankle and femur and is still hospitalised.

The incident took place as the Boeing 777-300ER was traversing the Bay of Bengal, having already crossed over the Andaman Sea.

Passengers onboard described their terror as the aircraft was violently thrown off balance, subjecting them to a rough and unnerving experience.

A source told The Sun: 'From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers, and great upset spread through the cabins.'



The crew were thrown around the cabin as they carried out their duties: 'The “fasten seat belt” signs were on, but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.' said the source.

‘The Captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The British Airways spokesman described the severity of turbulence as 'obscene' and said the airline had not experienced anything like it in ‘the last five years’.


compressed-airplane-g6c6d5720c_1280.jpeg
As the Boeing 777-300ER made its way over the Andaman Sea and continued its flight across the Bay of Bengal, turbulence suddenly struck the aircraft. Image by johanwiden69 from Pixabay



The airline has apologised to the affected customers and, as compensation, has provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.



Key Takeaways
  • Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.
  • One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle, and another is undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.
  • Severe turbulence increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent, and last longer in the future.
Turbulence can strike without warning, and with increased frequency, it’s important to stay alert when flying.

If you’re ever in a turbulent situation, make sure seatbelts are fastened, follow advice from the crew, and listen out for any alerts.

To our members, if you have any stories to share about your travel experiences, do let us know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
 
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Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport experienced a horrifying ordeal when their peaceful journey turned into a something out of a nightmare.

Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries, and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.

The turbulence struck suddenly and forcefully over the Bay of Bengal, resulting in sustained and intense shaking of the plane.




View attachment 22669
The crew members aboard the BA12 flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport suffered injuries when the plane encountered intense and prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Image by bilaleldaou from Pixabay



The crew members on board the BA12 flight suffered significant harm, with one experiencing a dislocated ankle, another currently undergoing an MRI scan for severe hip bruising, and a third undergoing surgery on their ankle and femur and is still hospitalised.

The incident took place as the Boeing 777-300ER was traversing the Bay of Bengal, having already crossed over the Andaman Sea.

Passengers onboard described their terror as the aircraft was violently thrown off balance, subjecting them to a rough and unnerving experience.

A source told The Sun: 'From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers, and great upset spread through the cabins.'



The crew were thrown around the cabin as they carried out their duties: 'The “fasten seat belt” signs were on, but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.' said the source.

‘The Captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The British Airways spokesman described the severity of turbulence as 'obscene' and said the airline had not experienced anything like it in ‘the last five years’.


View attachment 22670
As the Boeing 777-300ER made its way over the Andaman Sea and continued its flight across the Bay of Bengal, turbulence suddenly struck the aircraft. Image by johanwiden69 from Pixabay



The airline has apologised to the affected customers and, as compensation, has provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.



Key Takeaways

  • Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.
  • One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle, and another is undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.
  • Severe turbulence increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent, and last longer in the future.
Turbulence can strike without warning, and with increased frequency, it’s important to stay alert when flying.

If you’re ever in a turbulent situation, make sure seatbelts are fastened, follow advice from the crew, and listen out for any alerts.

To our members, if you have any stories to share about your travel experiences, do let us know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
This reminded me of a flight between Dubai & Istanbul some 10 yrs ago. As usual , after lunch was serviced & everybody was eating & drinking, the plane was suddenly jolted upwards & then a few seconds later came back down with a jolt again. It was like someone he’d picked up the plane & threw it down , hitting the floor hard.
The resulting panic was immediate. Trays, food & drink went flying everywhere . Some passengers were jolted out of their seats too.
Now not sure if anyone was injured, but as I always leave the seatbelt on, I was not effected at all. I even was able to finish my glass of red a second before the jolt. 😜. Passengers were crying & my neighbour was praying profusely.
I use to fly quite regularly for work & have experienced numerous turbulence, but this was the worst & most scariest for me. Hope I never experience it again.
A. Caruana
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport experienced a horrifying ordeal when their peaceful journey turned into a something out of a nightmare.

Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries, and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.

The turbulence struck suddenly and forcefully over the Bay of Bengal, resulting in sustained and intense shaking of the plane.




View attachment 22669
The crew members aboard the BA12 flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport suffered injuries when the plane encountered intense and prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Image by bilaleldaou from Pixabay



The crew members on board the BA12 flight suffered significant harm, with one experiencing a dislocated ankle, another currently undergoing an MRI scan for severe hip bruising, and a third undergoing surgery on their ankle and femur and is still hospitalised.

The incident took place as the Boeing 777-300ER was traversing the Bay of Bengal, having already crossed over the Andaman Sea.

Passengers onboard described their terror as the aircraft was violently thrown off balance, subjecting them to a rough and unnerving experience.

A source told The Sun: 'From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers, and great upset spread through the cabins.'



The crew were thrown around the cabin as they carried out their duties: 'The “fasten seat belt” signs were on, but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.' said the source.

‘The Captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The British Airways spokesman described the severity of turbulence as 'obscene' and said the airline had not experienced anything like it in ‘the last five years’.


View attachment 22670
As the Boeing 777-300ER made its way over the Andaman Sea and continued its flight across the Bay of Bengal, turbulence suddenly struck the aircraft. Image by johanwiden69 from Pixabay



The airline has apologised to the affected customers and, as compensation, has provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.



Key Takeaways

  • Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.
  • One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle, and another is undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.
  • Severe turbulence increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent, and last longer in the future.
Turbulence can strike without warning, and with increased frequency, it’s important to stay alert when flying.

If you’re ever in a turbulent situation, make sure seatbelts are fastened, follow advice from the crew, and listen out for any alerts.

To our members, if you have any stories to share about your travel experiences, do let us know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
I took my mum on a holiday with our family back in the 90's. Was her first flight ever and took some convincing to get her on board. Syd to G.C. we assured her it was safe & you don't even really feel take off or landing that much, its a smooth ride. She finally settled after take off, then.....we hit the worst turbulence I have ever felt on a plane trip. You were shaken about and the plane would drop suddenly, it even concerned me. Only lasted about 5 minutes but mum never fogave me or ever flew again in her life. At least the return flight was a better experience for her.
 
I experienced terrible turbulence on a flight from Sydney to the UK in 1975. The crew were serving meals at the time and the plane dropped suddenly, what felt about 10,000 feet (but was likely not nearly as much as that). The food trolleys hit the ceiling of the plane. I was sitting adjacent to a crew member's seat, and she was absolutely terrified. She said that she had never experienced anything so bad in all of her time as a crew member.
 
This reminded me of a flight between Dubai & Istanbul some 10 yrs ago. As usual , after lunch was serviced & everybody was eating & drinking, the plane was suddenly jolted upwards & then a few seconds later came back down with a jolt again. It was like someone he’d picked up the plane & threw it down , hitting the floor hard.
The resulting panic was immediate. Trays, food & drink went flying everywhere . Some passengers were jolted out of their seats too.
Now not sure if anyone was injured, but as I always leave the seatbelt on, I was not effected at all. I even was able to finish my glass of red a second before the jolt. 😜. Passengers were crying & my neighbour was praying profusely.
I use to fly quite regularly for work & have experienced numerous turbulence, but this was the worst & most scariest for me. Hope I never experience it again.
A. Caruana
I took my mum on a holiday with our family back in the 90's. Was her first flight ever and took some convincing to get her on board. Syd to G.C. we assured her it was safe & you don't even really feel take off or landing that much, its a smooth ride. She finally settled after take off, then.....we hit the worst turbulence I have ever felt on a plane trip. You were shaken about and the plane would drop suddenly, it even concerned me. Only lasted about 5 minutes but mum never fogave me or ever flew again in her life. At least the return flight was a better experience for her.
I experienced terrible turbulence on a flight from Sydney to the UK in 1975. The crew were serving meals at the time and the plane dropped suddenly, what felt about 10,000 feet (but was likely not nearly as much as that). The food trolleys hit the ceiling of the plane. I was sitting adjacent to a crew member's seat, and she was absolutely terrified. She said that she had never experienced anything so bad in all of her time as a crew member.
Wow... these are decades apart but all about the same strong turbulence! I was terrified of flying right until I flew to Singapore a while back. Fortunately, there wasn't even a bad shake on my flight!
 
Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport experienced a horrifying ordeal when their peaceful journey turned into a something out of a nightmare.

Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries, and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.

The turbulence struck suddenly and forcefully over the Bay of Bengal, resulting in sustained and intense shaking of the plane.




View attachment 22669
The crew members aboard the BA12 flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport suffered injuries when the plane encountered intense and prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Image by bilaleldaou from Pixabay



The crew members on board the BA12 flight suffered significant harm, with one experiencing a dislocated ankle, another currently undergoing an MRI scan for severe hip bruising, and a third undergoing surgery on their ankle and femur and is still hospitalised.

The incident took place as the Boeing 777-300ER was traversing the Bay of Bengal, having already crossed over the Andaman Sea.

Passengers onboard described their terror as the aircraft was violently thrown off balance, subjecting them to a rough and unnerving experience.

A source told The Sun: 'From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers, and great upset spread through the cabins.'



The crew were thrown around the cabin as they carried out their duties: 'The “fasten seat belt” signs were on, but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.' said the source.

‘The Captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The British Airways spokesman described the severity of turbulence as 'obscene' and said the airline had not experienced anything like it in ‘the last five years’.


View attachment 22670
As the Boeing 777-300ER made its way over the Andaman Sea and continued its flight across the Bay of Bengal, turbulence suddenly struck the aircraft. Image by johanwiden69 from Pixabay



The airline has apologised to the affected customers and, as compensation, has provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.



Key Takeaways

  • Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.
  • One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle, and another is undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.
  • Severe turbulence increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent, and last longer in the future.
Turbulence can strike without warning, and with increased frequency, it’s important to stay alert when flying.

If you’re ever in a turbulent situation, make sure seatbelts are fastened, follow advice from the crew, and listen out for any alerts.

To our members, if you have any stories to share about your travel experiences, do let us know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
I do hope all all mending well with no long term damage, sending best wishes for a speedy recovery ❤️‍🩹
 
Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport experienced a horrifying ordeal when their peaceful journey turned into a something out of a nightmare.

Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries, and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.

The turbulence struck suddenly and forcefully over the Bay of Bengal, resulting in sustained and intense shaking of the plane.




View attachment 22669
The crew members aboard the BA12 flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport suffered injuries when the plane encountered intense and prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Image by bilaleldaou from Pixabay



The crew members on board the BA12 flight suffered significant harm, with one experiencing a dislocated ankle, another currently undergoing an MRI scan for severe hip bruising, and a third undergoing surgery on their ankle and femur and is still hospitalised.

The incident took place as the Boeing 777-300ER was traversing the Bay of Bengal, having already crossed over the Andaman Sea.

Passengers onboard described their terror as the aircraft was violently thrown off balance, subjecting them to a rough and unnerving experience.

A source told The Sun: 'From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers, and great upset spread through the cabins.'



The crew were thrown around the cabin as they carried out their duties: 'The “fasten seat belt” signs were on, but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.' said the source.

‘The Captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The British Airways spokesman described the severity of turbulence as 'obscene' and said the airline had not experienced anything like it in ‘the last five years’.


View attachment 22670
As the Boeing 777-300ER made its way over the Andaman Sea and continued its flight across the Bay of Bengal, turbulence suddenly struck the aircraft. Image by johanwiden69 from Pixabay



The airline has apologised to the affected customers and, as compensation, has provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.



Key Takeaways

  • Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.
  • One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle, and another is undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.
  • Severe turbulence increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent, and last longer in the future.
Turbulence can strike without warning, and with increased frequency, it’s important to stay alert when flying.

If you’re ever in a turbulent situation, make sure seatbelts are fastened, follow advice from the crew, and listen out for any alerts.

To our members, if you have any stories to share about your travel experiences, do let us know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
In 1978 we moved to Australia. The flight took us to Adelaide and then Melbourne. During this flight we hit a massive thunderstorm and due to the short distance between the two cities the pilot was unable to rise above the storm . We had our seatbelts on but everything on the trays, we'd just been served drinks, went flying as well as the flight attendants . The plane had literally dropped a couple metres. Very scary. I don’t recall anyone being badly injured though.
 
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Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport experienced a horrifying ordeal when their peaceful journey turned into a something out of a nightmare.

Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries, and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.

The turbulence struck suddenly and forcefully over the Bay of Bengal, resulting in sustained and intense shaking of the plane.




View attachment 22669
The crew members aboard the BA12 flight from Singapore to London's Heathrow Airport suffered injuries when the plane encountered intense and prolonged turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Image by bilaleldaou from Pixabay



The crew members on board the BA12 flight suffered significant harm, with one experiencing a dislocated ankle, another currently undergoing an MRI scan for severe hip bruising, and a third undergoing surgery on their ankle and femur and is still hospitalised.

The incident took place as the Boeing 777-300ER was traversing the Bay of Bengal, having already crossed over the Andaman Sea.

Passengers onboard described their terror as the aircraft was violently thrown off balance, subjecting them to a rough and unnerving experience.

A source told The Sun: 'From nowhere, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions. There were screams from the passengers, and great upset spread through the cabins.'



The crew were thrown around the cabin as they carried out their duties: 'The “fasten seat belt” signs were on, but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.' said the source.

‘The Captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The British Airways spokesman described the severity of turbulence as 'obscene' and said the airline had not experienced anything like it in ‘the last five years’.


View attachment 22670
As the Boeing 777-300ER made its way over the Andaman Sea and continued its flight across the Bay of Bengal, turbulence suddenly struck the aircraft. Image by johanwiden69 from Pixabay



The airline has apologised to the affected customers and, as compensation, has provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.



Key Takeaways

  • Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in years.
  • One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle, and another is undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.
  • Severe turbulence increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent, and last longer in the future.
Turbulence can strike without warning, and with increased frequency, it’s important to stay alert when flying.

If you’re ever in a turbulent situation, make sure seatbelts are fastened, follow advice from the crew, and listen out for any alerts.

To our members, if you have any stories to share about your travel experiences, do let us know in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!
I was once on a flight to Hong Kong during a typhoon we approached trying to land and went around 3-4 times before flying to Taipai and staying overnight. Going back the following morning with the same result and returning to Taipai, we eventually landed to great applause late that afternoon. A couple of passengers did not want to leave Taipai, hiding in the airport toilets, but were found and escorted aboard. Two Nuns seated near us were praying the house down, but they were not alone that day, and the city was covered in debris and bamboo scaffolding.
 
Being a FIFO Maintenance Boilermaker for several different mine sites around Australia
turbulence was not uncommon, especially dry air turbulence, in a Dash 8 small jet "bags of fun",
tongue in cheek! no not really, I would say closer to TERRIFYING, NO SHIT.
If it happened all the time I' would have quit. Being push and pulled in your seat whilst the aircraft was
completing manoeuvres. Chris Sperou and Biggles would have been proud of.
I know exactly what that British flight went thru....
I Thank the lord I survived long enough to RETIRE.
 
We never undo our seatbelts in a plane, except of course to use the toilet when necessary.

Pilots are usually warned of thunderstorms, lightning, turbulence and bad weather before flying into the area and are given an alternative route. Was this an error of warning? And if this happened in the last week or so, it was common knowledge that there was a cyclone approaching India and Pakistan - so what happened to warnings and avoidance of flying into it? Seems a bit strange if this happened in the last week.
 

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