‘It was like being in a movie…it was shocking’: Terrified passenger on flight from Austin to Frankfurt says it plummeted for ‘five seconds’ as it battled extreme turbulence and remembers everything went in ‘slow motion’
- Passengers on a flight between Austin and Frankfurt have revealed the terrifying moment their plane crashed for ‘five seconds’ as it battled turbulence
- Seven people have been hospitalized after the Lufthansa Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Washington DC after being struck by lightning
- Terrified passengers were surrounded by “a lot of broken glass” and left screaming in fear during the traumatic experience
Passengers recounted the terrifying moment when their Lufthansa flight from Austin to Frankfurt plummeted 300 feet after being struck by lightning, saying everything went in “slow motion” and “it was like being in a movie.”
Seven people were hospitalized after the horrific experience that led to an emergency landing in Washington DC.
Susan Zimmerman, who was on the run, told them Good morning America that she was “shocked”, adding that it was the first time many, including the staff, had experienced something of this magnitude.
“I don’t think even the people who were on board, even the cabin crew, I don’t even think any of them experienced that,” she told the broadcaster.
“This was shocking. It was a bit like being in slow motion.
Passengers have recounted the terrifying moment when their Lufthansa flight from Austin to Frankfurt plunged 300 feet after being struck by lightning
“You just see everything — like in a movie where you see everything lift up and all of a sudden come back down — it felt like five seconds of falling and then it shook.”
Adding to the shock factor was that many passengers were not wearing their seatbelts because the sign had not been activated before the unexpected drop in altitude.
Broken glass and debris were scattered around the cabins as passengers came to grips with the traumatic wave of turbulence they experience at 37,000 feet as they fly over Tennessee.
The flight landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport around 9 p.m., just three hours into the 10.5-hour flight to Germany. Seven occupants were taken to hospital with unknown injuries.
One man, who claimed his wife was on board, said that “people who didn’t fasten their seatbelts got hurt, usually because it came as a surprise.”
A photograph sent to him by the man’s wife shows food trays, containers, cutlery and pamphlets scattered throughout the vestibule.
Terrified passengers were surrounded by ‘a lot of broken glass’ and took off screaming in fear after Lufthansa Flight 469 hit a traumatic turbulence wave at 37,000 feet
The flight landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport around 9 p.m., just three hours after a 10.5-hour flight from Austin to Germany. Seven occupants were taken to hospital
A passenger, who spoke anonymously to the Washington Postsaid food “went into the air and hit and even damaged the ceiling of the plane.”
Passengers sitting in the front bled profusely and rolled off the plane after the chaos.
Another person whose sister and brother-in-law were on the run said it was “exceptionally scary, (with) a lot of broken glass and screaming and multiple injuries,” according to The sun.
The airline offered passengers a link to claim their money back after an angry passenger took to social media to express their displeasure: “A lot of our plans have been compromised, our clothes are ruined and we certainly expect a lot more than just a hotel tonight .’
“We would like immediate assistance and compensation for the catastrophic emergency landing incident involving LH469,” one passenger wrote.
The airline also provided hotel accommodation for displaced passengers.
However, another passenger thanked the crew: ‘@lufthansa thank you so much for your incredible care of Flt 469 tonight! My family will be eternally grateful for the skill of the pilot and co-pilot and the care of the crew.”
The FAA is investigating the incident.
The flight landed three hours into the D.C. airport – the airline that provided hotel accommodations to passengers