HONOLULU (KHON2) — A passenger from the Phoenix flight in which several passengers were injured due to turbulence said that the flight had been smooth, until the announcement on final approach.
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“It was really quiet in the, where we were sitting. Next thing I know, um, we dropped, like we are on a, uh, one of those drop free drop rollercoaster rides or those drop zone rides,” said passenger Arlene Mateo. “I’ve been on airplane rides where there are turbulence and you bounce down and go back up, but this one was like, it kept falling for a few seconds. I went, oh my God. And then it bounced back up, and that’s when everybody flew up. That wasn’t fastened or seat belted or stuff like that.”
Mateo said she had her seat belt on and so did her two daughters. But the passenger next to her did not.
“A shoe hit me in the, on the cheekbone, and I was like, holy cow. And then his feet went up like that. And my seatbelt, thank goodness I had my seatbelt plugged in. And then he went up, he came down and things were flying around,” said Mateo. “A few people hit their heads on the bins as well as those cracks. So it was that much of a force.”
Mateo said the flight crew were working despite being injured themselves.
“A flight attendant who was too injured, she was amazing. She came up, she said she was limping, and she, you know, she said, are you guys okay? Please stay calm. We got this”
Passengers were calm, according to Mateo, and helping each other when the plane landed.
Mateo’s takeaway from the incident is to be grateful for life and pay attention to the seat belt sign.
“It was just, just heart dumping wake up call to really fasten your seat belts when they say. Fasten your seatbelt and don’t get up. You know, it was like, you gotta use the bathroom, wait till you land.”
