” I have been a frequent flyer but have never experienced anything like the 5 minutes of turbulence our SpiceJet flight from Mumbai hit minutes before landing at Durgapur,” Vishal Patel, an Ahmedabad-based mechanical engineer who works for the Adani Group,
Patel was one of the passengers who had a lucky escape when turbulence hit SpiceJet Boeing B737 aircraft operating flight SG-945 on May 1 and left at least 12 passengers injured. “It was a nightmare… Luckily, most people behaved well in crisis and were fortunate to survive,” he said.
SpiceJet spokesperson said, “On May 1, SpiceJet Boeing B737 aircraft operating flight SG-945 from Mumbai to Durgapur encountered severe turbulence during descent, which unfortunately resulted in injuries to a few passengers.”
Patel said the airline took off from Mumbai at around 5.05 pm and was scheduled to land at Durgapur at 7.45 pm. “Everything was fine till about 6.50 pm when suddenly the aircraft hit a rough patch,” Patel said, adding the turbulence started before the landing announcement.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered an investigation into the incident. SpiceJet has said due to bad weather in Durgapur, all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected.
“I have been a frequent flyer but have never experienced anything like the 5 minutes of turbulence our SpiceJet flight from Mumbai hit minutes before landing at Durgapur,” Vishal Patel, an Ahmedabad-based mechanical engineer who works for the Adani Group,
Patel was one of the passengers who had a lucky escape when turbulence hit SpiceJet Boeing B737 aircraft operating flight SG-945 on May 1 and left at least 12 passengers injured. “It was a nightmare… Luckily, most people behaved well in crisis and were fortunate to survive,” he said.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said, “On May 1, SpiceJet Boeing B737 aircraft operating flight SG-945 from Mumbai to Durgapur encountered severe turbulence during descent, which unfortunately resulted in injuries to a few passengers.”
Patel said the airline took off from Mumbai at around 5.05 pm and was scheduled to land at Durgapur at 7.45 pm. “Everything was fine till about 6.50 pm when suddenly the aircraft hit a rough patch,” Patel said, adding the turbulence started before the landing announcement.
A picture of the SpiceJet aircraft was shared by Vishal Patel.
Also Read:
DGCA bars 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying Boeing 737 MAX until re-trained
On asked whether there had been any announcements before the turbulence, he said it was very sudden, but calls to go back to seats and fasten seatbelts were made immediately.
“The 5 minutes that ensued were nothing I had experienced before. The limit of the jerks was beyond my prior flying experiences. Frequent flyers usually understand such situations and fasten seatbelts, but there were elderly passengers and those with kids. They had the most troubles,” he said.
According to Patel, some flyers did not or could not fasten seat belts, and many of them were injured. “People started panicking and shouting. Few even jumped up from their seats, hitting the cabin overhead. And then baggage also fell out of the overhead cabins hitting a few passengers,” he added.
After the aircraft stabilised, many flyers even started getting up from their seats looking for valuables like wallets and mobile phones, making the situation even more chaotic. Visuals from inside the aircraft have flooded the social media, showing passengers’ belongings strewn on the floor.
A SpiceJet statement said immediate medical assistance was provided upon the aircraft’s arrival in Durgapur. “SpiceJet expresses its regret at this unfortunate incident and is providing all possible medical help to the injured,” the SpiceJet spokesperson added. They also tweeted that flights may be disrupted due to bad weather.”
Patel also said the flight landed safely well before the scheduled landing time, and the crew made sure everyone who was affected was given immediate assistance. “After the 5 minutes of turbulence, the pilots announced saying everything was fine and that the aircraft was out of the rough patch. They asked everyone to calm down.”
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an investigation into the incident. “Some of the passengers sustained head injuries and received stitches, while one passenger said he suffered a spinal injury in the mishap,” the DGCA has said
.
