A Ryanair flight bound for a sunny holiday destination was forced into a dramatic U-turn after passengers endured a mid-air emergency described as feeling like 'something out of a horror movie'.
The Terrifying Ordeal at 35,000 Feet
The incident occurred on Sunday, 28th December, aboard flight FR1121, a Boeing 737 MAX that had departed from Birmingham Airport at approximately 2.50pm. The aircraft was heading for Tenerife and had reached a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet over Brittany, France, when the situation unfolded.
A 33-year-old passenger from Lichfield, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the sudden terror. "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," she said.
Emergency Response and Return to Birmingham
The crew issued a 7700 squawk code, the universal signal for a general emergency. According to reports from passengers to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence while cabin service was in progress, resulting in injuries to several people.
The pilots took decisive action, executing a U-turn and descending to fly at 10,000 feet (FL100). The aircraft then made its way back to its point of origin, landing safely at Birmingham Airport around one hour and 32 minutes after take-off.
Upon landing, the plane was directed to a remote stand where paramedics were waiting to attend to passengers. The full extent of the injuries sustained is not yet known.
Aftermath and Airline Statement
The emotional impact on those on board was profound. The passenger from Lichfield stated, "I came out physically unharmed but the mental toll this has taken is awful... this has really traumatised me." She added that cabin crew members with a decade of experience said they had never encountered anything like it.
An unconfirmed claim from some passengers suggested a fighter jet was seen passing the Boeing before the incident, though this detail has not been verified.
Ryanair provided a statement confirming the events: "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... where a small number of passengers were provided with medical assistance."
The airline confirmed that the same aircraft later continued its journey to Tenerife, departing at 21:06 local time.
