A mining executive has recalled the terrifying moment a Qantas plane he was traveling on plummeted, leaving the occupants on board so afraid of dying that they began texting their loved ones.
QantasLink flight QF1624 took off from Perth on Monday afternoon bound for the mining town of Paraburdoo in the Pilbara region of Western Australia when the plane suddenly diverted and was forced to make a priority landing in Geraldton.
Simon Rushton described the flight as a “harrowing experience”, stating that the pilot ordered everyone on board to get into a landing position.
He also accused the airline of downplaying the incident, claiming that some on board were treated by paramedics from St John Ambulance.
“People on that plane, including me, thought there was a very real chance we would die,” Rushton told Nine News.
“I was texting my loved ones.”
Ruston previously told a Perth radio station that the plane went into a terrifying nosedive..
The plane then shook “up and down” for about 10 minutes.
A Qantas flight in Western Australia was forced to make an emergency landing on Monday (pictured)
“Everyone felt the kind of weightlessness you feel when you go down a steep slope and they were like, ‘What is that?'” Mr. Rushton said.
‘The pit of your stomach went up into your throat, it wasn’t pleasant at all.
“The pilot came over the airwaves and said that everyone, including the cabin crew, should immediately put on their seat belts and get into the restraint position.”
Passengers were then informed that the plane would make an emergency landing and that they would feel a large impact and then several smaller ones.
Network Aviation chief pilot Evan Bartlett told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that the priority landing was due to a mechanical issue.
“We understand why customers were concerned about the diversion to Geraldton last night after the aircraft had an issue with the auto-flight system,” he said.
‘Our pilots and crew are highly trained to handle situations like this.
‘Following attempts to resolve the problem, the crew made the decision to divert to Geraldton Airport.
‘The crew followed standard safety procedures, so customers were instructed to take the support position as a precautionary measure for landing.
One passenger said the airline had downplayed the severity of the incident and that those on the plane feared they would die (pictured inside the cabin).
Emergency vehicles were on the tarmac as a “precaution” when the plane landed in Geraldton.
‘The plane landed normally at Geraldton and we are now carrying out a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the mechanical problem.
‘We understand that this was a distressing experience for those on board and we sincerely apologize. “We are in the process of contacting all customers to provide them with our support.”
However, Mr Rushton said To call the incident a “disturbing experience” was to “considerably downplay it.”
Emergency services met the plane on the tarmac as a precaution, but a Qantas spokesperson said they were not needed.
The plane later returned to Perth, where passengers booked new flights.