Watch: Turbulent trip to Jakarta turns passengers into patients
Passengers on an Etihad Airways jet had the fright of their lives yesterday in extreme turbulence over Indonesia.
On a cell phone video you can hear passengers praying, crying and screaming as the Airbus a330 violently shakes. Photos posted on social media by passengers show food and garbage strewn all over the cabin.
The turbulence started 45 minutes before the flight was scheduled to land in Jakarta. The shaking was so strong that oxygen masks deployed and storage bins started to rip.
"In my group, there are three injured people," said Nenden Nurhaini, who was on the flight.
She said that "some of them got injured on their legs and one of them get severe head injury because of hitting the cabin ceiling" in the other group.
While the plane landed safely, more than 30 passengers and crew were injured. Nine were hurt so seriously that they were transported for medical attention. Many suffered broken bones.
The flight was supposed to return to Abu Dhabi, but was canceled. The airline's safety record is considered sound.