'Terrifying' moment man gets stuck in overhead bin after 30 injured in Boeing plane turbulence

Terrifying footage from a Boeing aircraft shows the chaos that can ensue when severe turbulence hits mid-flight, with one unfastened passenger ending up in an overhead bin.

During the Air Europa flight on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner headed to Uruguay , the plane encountered intense turbulence over the Atlantic, resulting in injuries to 30 people and leaving bloodstains throughout the cabin. Passengers who weren't buckled in were sent flying, including one whose legs were seen hanging out of the storage compartment in a video of the incident.

Air Europa responded to the event, stating, "The plane has landed normally and the injuries of varying degrees that were recorded are already being treated." Before the weekend flight UX045 from Spain plunged into the turbulent air, the pilot had instructed everyone to strap in. Initially, the disturbance was minor, but it quickly escalated as the aircraft experienced a sudden drop.

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A passenger recounted to Spanish media, "The sensation was terrifying, feeling like you were falling and that it was never going to end. And you were aware that you were falling at an incalculable speed."

"And you felt like it was going to end there, that you were going to die. Until we started to see on the screen that the plane was starting to rise," recounted the attorney who was en route to Europe for a 40-day work and tourism trip, reports the Mirror .

Passengers aboard the flight shared harrowing images showing the aftermath of the severe drop, with cabin fixtures torn from the ceiling and passengers thrown about the interior. One passenger described the terrifying experience: "Those who did not have seatbelts flew and some remained hooked to the roof."

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The terrifying ordeal lasted only seconds but resulted in numerous passengers sustaining serious injuries. Uruguay's foreign minister confirmed that the aircraft made an emergency landing in Natal, where the 30 injured were taken to Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital.

Additional footage from flight UX045 captured the moment passengers came to the aid of a man stuck in an overhead bin, pulling him out by his legs, while others lay immobilized on the floor in neck braces.

Aviation specialists analyzing the flight data suggested that a sudden deceleration might be behind the injuries. Jacob Philip commented on X: "It seems the injuries and damages during the turbulence happened aboard Air Europa UX045 Madrid to Uruguay flight was not because of a sudden drop in altitude."