[imagesource: Twitter / Breaking Aviation News & Videos]

Only once have I ever feared for my life while flying.

The plane experienced extreme turbulence, people were genuinely holding each other and crying for about 10 seconds, and then we stabilised and everything returned to normal.

It was baffling to me how quickly those around me went from utter panic to total calm but that’s a story for another day.

Passengers aboard a LATAM Airlines Airbus A320 flight between Santiago de Chile Airport (SCL) and Asunción International Airport (ASU) last Wednesday suffered an intense and lengthy ordeal when the plane flew through a hailstorm.

Here’s The New York Post:

Frightening footage shows the aircraft shaking badly as flashes of lightning crack outside and terrified passengers inside are heard screaming. No one was injured.

Stunning images taken on the ground show a gaping hole in the nose of the Airbus A320-200 and a shattered windshield.

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics of Chile said the plane made an emergency landing “due to extreme and unforeseen weather conditions.”

Video footage shared on Instagram shows some of the panic:

 

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A post shared by Future Aviators ®️ (@future_aviators)

Multiple reports on social media stated that both engines failed and the plane was forced to deploy the Ram Air Turbine (RAT).

This is genuinely harrowing:

pic.twitter.com/5dCkfEa7a7

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) October 27, 2022

Rather than landing in Paraguay as planned, the crew was forced to divert to Foz do Iguaçu / Cataratas International Airport (IGU) in Brazil.

Even that wasn’t smooth sailing for passengers, reports Simple Flying:

After staying in Foz de Iguaçu for about three hours, the flight departed again towards Paraguay. During these three hours, the passengers were unable to get off the plane. The crew informed the passengers that the Brazilian authorities were not letting them disembark until a customs team arrived at the plane.

LATAM Airlines wouldn’t comment on reports that it lost both engines but didn’t issue a denial in its official statement.

I’d say the scariest part of flying in South Africa right now is the price of a ticket.

[sources:nypost&simpleflying]