A Ryanair flight bound for a sunny Christmas break in Tenerife was forced into a terrifying emergency U-turn back to Birmingham, with passengers comparing the severe mid-air ordeal to a scene from a horror movie.
'Like a Loss of Control': Passenger Describes Mid-Air Terror
The incident occurred on Sunday, December 28, aboard flight FR1121. The Boeing 737 MAX had taken off from Birmingham Airport at 2.50pm and was climbing to cruising altitude when it encountered extreme trouble. A 33-year-old passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, provided a harrowing account of the moments the aircraft was struck by severe disturbance.
"It felt like something you see on a horror movie," the passenger 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."
The individual added that while they escaped physical harm, the psychological impact was severe: "I came out physically unharmed but the mental toll this has taken is awful - this has really traumatised me." They also noted that experienced cabin crew members stated they had never encountered anything similar in over a decade of service.
Emergency Signal and Dramatic Descent
As the aircraft reached approximately 35,000 feet over Brittany, the pilots transmitted a 7700 squawk code, the universal signal for a general emergency. Aviation reports indicate the turbulence struck while cabin service was underway, causing injuries to several people on board.
In response to the crisis, the pilots initiated an immediate return. The aircraft performed a U-turn and made a controlled descent to a lower, safer altitude of FL100, or 10,000 feet, for the journey back to its origin.
Safe Landing and Aftermath at Birmingham Airport
The plane made a safe landing back at Birmingham Airport roughly one hour and 32 minutes after its initial departure. According to reports, the aircraft was directed to an isolated stand on the tarmac to allow paramedics to board and provide medical assistance to affected travellers. The full extent of passenger injuries remains unclear.
Ryanair confirmed the incident in an official statement. A spokesperson said: "FR1121 from Birmingham to Tenerife on 28 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."
The airline confirmed that the same flight later continued its journey to Tenerife, departing at 9.06pm local time that evening.
