Passengers on a Sepehran Airlines Boeing 737 screamed and prayed as violent shaking and falling ceiling panels sparked panic after take-off from Mashhad, Iran, forcing an emergency return
Passengers prayed and screamed in terror as the cabin shook violently and seemingly fell apart during a flight.
Terrifying footage shows frightened flyers desperately gripping the seats in front of them as the cabin vibrates heavily. In the clips, they can be heard screaming and praying as several ceiling panels appear to detach and come crashing down.
The nightmarish scenes unfolded shortly after the Boeing 737 took off from Mashhad, Iran, yesterday (15 September). The pilot was forced to declare an emergency to the control tower and request permission to return to Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport. The plane eventually landed safely.
The aircraft reportedly suffered a tyre blowout during take-off, with reports also emerging of possible damage to one of its engines. Some passengers were reportedly struck by items falling from damaged overhead compartments. But no injuries were reported.
The Sepehran Airlines flight, carrying 127 passengers and crew, had been bound for Kermanshah. After landing, the passengers were reportedly transferred to another aircraft to complete their journey.
The incident resulted in one of the two runways at Mashhad International Airport being temporarily closed. It is not clear how many flights were affected by the closure.
A technical investigation into the incident is underway. Iran’s aviation industry has struggled for decades under international sanctions, which have made it difficult for airlines to obtain new Western-built aircraft and genuine spare parts.
As a result, Iranian carriers have had to keep ageing aircraft in service for longer, while relying on complex maintenance arrangements to keep their fleets flying. The country’s commercial fleet includes aircraft dating back decades, while sanctions have also complicated access to modern maintenance and upgrades.
Iranian authorities and officials have repeatedly blamed sanctions for difficulties facing the country’s aviation industry, although the specific cause of any individual incident requires a technical investigation. This comes after stunned airline passengers were left horrified after a woman allegedly stripped naked and performed an indecent act in her seat.
The wild mid-air incident reportedly occurred on an American Airlines Airbus A319 bound for Miami International Airport after taking off from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the Daily Star previously reported.
Flight AA1779 had already been delayed by nearly an hour and a half, finally getting airborne around 8.45pm EDT on Friday, September 11, before chaos broke out in the front right section of the cabin. Horrified flyers looked on as the female passenger, sitting in row nine, suddenly stripped off all her clothes.
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