Spanish Flight Turbulence: Man Thrown into Overhead Bin

An Air Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight was hit by solid turbulence and made an emergency landing in Brazil, injuring 30 people on Monday. The turbulence was so strong that passengers were thrown out of their seats, with one man stuck in an overhead compartment.

The Spanish airline said the mid-air incident occurred when the flight was going from Madrid, Spain, to Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo. Flight UX045 was diverted to Natal airport in northeast Brazil after turbulence, according to the airline, The New York Post reported. Air Europa has announced that a new flight will depart from Madrid to pick up passengers who chose not to take a bus back to Uruguay.

Passengers posted videos of the damage and aftermath caused due to the turbulence, with one video showing a man’s feet poking out of the overhead bin after he was believed to have been thrown up there. Some people were seen huddling together to pull him down while a baby was heard crying in the background. Other clips showed ceiling panels torn off, a destroyed seat and oxygen masks dangling overhead due to the impact of the turbulence in the flight that was carrying 325 passengers. 

Statement by the Airline

In a statement, Air Europa said the flight landed without any issues, and people were being treated for injuries “of varying degrees”.

“The plane has landed normally, and the injuries that were recorded to varying degrees are already being treated,” the airline said.