Screams as 10 hurt in ‘drop tower’ turbulence on Cathay flight from Brisbane
Passenger describes experience as similar to ‘free-falling from a drop tower’, with severe altitude drop just before meals served
Ten passengers and crew members were injured when a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong was hit by severe turbulence on Saturday, with one traveller saying it felt like “free-falling from a drop tower” as everyone screamed and items flew through the air.
The passenger said the sudden drop in altitude lasted about two seconds and occurred two hours before the expected landing time, just as flight attendants were about to serve economy-class passengers their meals.
Cathay said 10 people, including two Australians, were injured and sent to hospital in Hong Kong for treatment following the turbulence on flight 156.
“Six cabin crew and four passengers reported minor injuries, and eight of them were sent to hospital for further medical care,” a Cathay spokesman said.
“The flight arrived in Hong Kong at [about] 6.45am. Medical personnel boarded the aircraft to assess the condition of a small number of passengers and crew who reported feeling unwell.”
Candy Chan, an Australia-based traveller returning to Hong Kong for a month, told the South China Morning Post the flight had proceeded normally after take-off.