Nine people have been injured after a Ryanair flight was hit by severe turbulence, with crew and passengers left in tears and the plane forced to make an emergency landing.
The Berlin to Milan flight encountered thunderstorms over southern Germany, with reports that people were thrown from their seats into the cabin ceiling as the plane was buffeted.
One terrified passenger recounted to German outlet BILD: ‘I’ve never been scared before – but at that moment, I thought the plane was going to break apart or roll over!’
Several passengers are reported to have been out of their seats when the plane was struck by the turbulence, with a mother and baby said to have been on the toilet when the plane was shaken.
Some passengers claimed that they were not sufficiently warned to put their safety belts on, according to BILD.
The severe conditions forced an unscheduled landing in Memmingen, southern Germany, where pictures show the passenger jet on the tarmac alongside emergency vehicles.
Passengers were reportedly kept on the plane for several hours leaving the shaken travellers ‘irritable’ and ‘agitated’.
Emergency services met passengers off the plane after the flight’s captain requested medical assistance ahead of landing.
The Berlin to Milan flight encountered storms over southern Germany and was forced to make an emergency landing in Memmingen
Pictures show the passenger jet on the tarmac in Memmingen alongside emergency vehicles
Pictures shared online by one passenger show medics and emergency responders on board
Ryanair said in a statement that a replacement flight had been arranged to take passengers to Milan and apologised to those affected
The landing in Memmingen is said to have been ‘safe and without incident’. There were 179 passengers on the plane and six crew members.
Three of those who were injured were reportedly hospitalised, including a two-year-old who suffered bruises, a woman who sustained a head laceration and another passenger who had back pain.
Other passengers were treated for injuries at the scene, police said.
Pictures shared online by one passenger show medics and emergency responders on board, and later assisting people in the Memmingen airport waiting room.
Ryanair said last night that a replacement flight had been arranged to take passengers to Milan and apologised to those affected.
Police, however, had said in their Wednesday statement that the airline was organising a bus transfer because local aviation authorities did not immediately clear onwards flights.
In a statement today the airline said: ‘FR8 from Berlin to Milan on 4th June diverted to Memmingen after experiencing some air turbulence.
‘To get passengers to their final destination as quickly as possible, we arranged for alternative transport from Memmingen to Milan that night, as well as a replacement flight this morning. We sincerely apologise to passengers affected by this diversion.’
Ryanair warned of possible disruptions to its service to and from Germany due to severe weather on Wednesday.
Storms battered the region last night, with strong winds ripping the roofs off multiple homes and causing damage to others, leaving some inhabitable.
Officials believe that a small tornado could have struck the area, with Germany’s weather service said to be investigating what caused the destruction.
Last month, footage showed terrified passengers screaming as severe turbulence, a hail storm and a bird strike struck a flight over India.
Last month, footage showed terrified passengers screaming as severe turbulence, a hail storm and a bird strike struck a flight over India
In November, extreme turbulence threw people into the cabin ceiling when it hit a passenger jet flying from Stockholm to Miami, throwing people into the ceiling (pictured)
The flight bound for Srinagar departing from the capital, New Delhi, was subjected to extreme weather conditions on Wednesday.
Videos taken from inside the cabin show the moment panic spread, with people heard screaming as flashes of lightning illuminated the inside of the plane.
In March, five passengers were injured by extreme turbulence that forced a United Express flight to make an emergency landing in Texas.
And in November, extreme turbulence threw people into the cabin ceiling when it hit a passenger jet flying from Stockholm to Miami, forcing the plane to turn around and head back to Europe.
The Scandinavian Airlines flight, which was supposed to take over nine hours, was almost at its destination when it had to make a U-turn and head all the way back.
After experiencing the turbulence over Greenland, the packed aircraft returned to a base in Copenhagen to undergo checks over concerns about technical issues.
A passenger on the flight, who was travelling with his wife, posted footage showing screaming passengers as the plane was rattled by the turbulence.
A woman sitting in his row is then flung upwards. ‘Look at her feet touching the [ceiling]!’ he wrote. ‘I thought we were going to [die]’.
