Nine people - including a two-year-old child and a crew member - were injured last night after a flight was forced to make an emergency landing. The plane flew into a severe thunderstorm leaving passengers terrified. The pilot announced he was aborting the flight and immediately landing at the nearest airport. One passenger described the scenes as “chaotic and dangerous”.
The Ryanair jet had 185 people on board when it was hit by extreme turbulence over southern It was flying from the German capital Berlin to the city Milan when the pilot made emergency landing at Memmingen Airport in Bavaria. A spokesman for the German authorities said that nine people were injured, including one crew member and a two-year-old child.
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The toddler suffered bruising, one woman had a head wound and another passenger had back injuries. The three injured were taken to hospital. Emergency services were immediately deployed on site at the airport.
Passengers could not continue their journey by air as the regional flight authority banned further take-off. Ryanair arranged buses to complete the journey. Ryanair flight FR8 had left Brandenburg airport in Berlin heading to Malpensa in Milan.
Experts said the plane encountered a “supercell” – a highly dangerous rotating thunderstorm. Supercells can span up to 30 miles across, with tornado-like winds inside An analysis of Flightradar24 data showed an abrupt course change toward Memmingen during the flight. The German service had issued severe storm warnings, with threats of hail and storm gusts.
In nearby Ulm, a tornado tore roofs off houses across multiple streets. The weather conditions in the German regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg were terrible last night. Firefighters responded to dozens of emergencies. German Police and Ryanair are expected to make statements later this morning
Passengers started to post their accounts of their terrifying ordeal on social media this morning. Several were out of their seats when the plane was struck by the turbulence. One even claimed a mum and her baby were in the toilet when the plane was shaken.
Another told German paper Bild: ‘ I’ve never been scared before - but at that moment, I thought the plane was going to break apart or roll over!'
Passengers were reportedly kept on the plane for several hours leaving the upset travellers 'irritable' and 'agitated'. Emergency services met passengers off the plane after the flight's captain requested medical assistance ahead of landing.
A Ryanair spokesman said: "FR8 from Berlin to Milan on 4th June diverted to Memmingen after experiencing some air turbulence.
"The captain called ahead for medical assistance and the aircraft landed normally. 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.”
