Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jacob Phillips

Video shows screaming passengers lifted into air as severe turbulence hits Miami-bound flight

The incident happened on a Scandinavian Airlines flight heading for Florida - (AFP via Getty Images)

Video has shown the moment passengers were thrown from their seats as a Miami-bound flight hit severe turbulence.

Passengers were lifted into the air on a Scandinavian Airlines flight bound for America on Thursday as it travelled over Greenland.

Turbulence shook the plane, which had 254 passengers on board, forcing the flight to turn round and head to Copenhagen.

A passenger on the flight posted footage on TikTok showing travellers screaming as bottles of drink and people’s belongings were flung into the air.

In the background of the video one passenger’s feet appear to hit the roof of the plane.

The video was captioned: "Look at her feet touching the ceiling! Thought we would die!"

@exportfromus.carsnipers

flight between #stockholm and #miami #flight #flightaccident #news #stockholmtomiami #stockholm #miami #carsnipers

♬ original sound - CarSnipers

Scandinavian Airlines explained the aircraft was turned around instead of pressing on to Miami as there were better resources in Copenhagen and the decision led to fewer cancellations.

No-one was seriously hurt during the turbulence but pictures of the incident showed luggage and food wrappers scattered across the floor of the flight.

A Scandinavian Airlines spokesperson said: “We confirm that flight SK957 from ARN to MIA yesterday encountered severe turbulence over Greenland. Following such turbulence, standard safety procedures require a thorough inspection of the aircraft.

“Following such turbulence, standard safety procedures require a thorough inspection of the aircraft. SAS have the best facilities and staff for this level of inspection in Copenhagen/CPH, and we therefore decided to reroute the aircraft here, where both hangar space and qualified technicians were available.

“Flying the aircraft to MIA would have resulted in it being grounded for an extended period, leading to multiple cancellations.

“Upon arrival, passengers were met by a special assistance team who provided information, addressed any concerns, assisted with rebooking, and ensured their comfort.

“Afterward, SAS accommodated passengers in a hotel overnight. All passengers have now been booked on other flights.

“There were 254 passengers on board, and no severe injuries were reported among passengers or crew.

“A full inspection is now being conducted in Copenhagen as a standard procedure.”

Earlier this year a 73-year-old British man died and at least 30 people were injured during extreme turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore.

Passengers told how travellers not wearing seatbelts were “launched immediately to the ceiling”, suffering head lacerations and “bleeding ears”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.