A plane has been forced to be diverted after it began “shaking violently” leaving passengers “crying” and “praying” for their lives.
The United Airlines flight was travelling from Rome to Newark in the US on July 11 when it wound up in trouble.
About three hours into the 10 hour journey, the plane was diverted to Shannon, Ireland.
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Passenger Zach K told People that he was travelling home from an Italian holiday with his fiancé.
He said there was “sudden, loud bang from the right side of the aircraft” about three hours into the flight.
“Immediately afterwards, the plane began shaking violently,” he said.
“This wasn’t normal turbulence. It was a loud, continuous vibration that could be felt and heard throughout the cabin.
“Nearly everyone around me immediately started looking around, trying to figure out what had happened.”
The plane was carrying 251 passengers and 11 crew onboard at the time of the incident.
Another passenger, Sam, said his wife “didn’t make much” of the bang at first.
“Then the flight attendants made an announcement acknowledging that some passengers were concerned about the noise and smell, but reassured us that everything was okay,” he told People.
However, Zach said that the reassurance only made passengers panic more.
“You could feel the anxiety throughout the cabin immediately increase,” he said.
He then added that flight attendants were gathering around the window to look at one of the engines, instructing passengers to open their window shades.
“That moment stood out to me because it reinforced that this was far more serious than a routine precaution,” Zach said.
“Around me, passengers became visibly emotional. Several people were crying, others were praying, and conversations throughout the cabin shifted from confusion to genuine fear. It was obvious many people believed we were in danger.
“It was an eerie feeling among the people on board. We didn’t have much information but we could tell something was very wrong. I ventured to thinking I may have to send my family a last message.”
Soon after, passengers were advised the flight was being diverted to Ireland.
Once landed, Zach said the passengers were made to stay on the plane for an additional 90 minutes.
When exiting the aircraft, he said he saw “a hole the size of a bowling ball or two is missing from the right engine”.
A United Airlines spokesperson told People that the flight “landed safely in Shannon, Ireland to address an issue with one engine”.
They added that customers were provided with “hotel accommodations and compensation and rebooked them on the next available flights”.
