Qatar Airways flight QR017 hit by turbulence, met by emergency services in Dublin Airport
Five days after a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight was hit by severe turbulence, another flight has had a similarly frightening experience.
This time, 12 people were injured after a Qatar Airways flight experienced turbulence.
Source: Qatar Airways on Facebook
The plane landed safely in Dublin as scheduled.
Qatar Airways plane experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey
The Qatar Airways flight hit by turbulence was QR017 from Doha to Dublin, revealed Dublin Airport in a post on X on Sunday (26 May).
Source: Dublin Airport on X
The plane experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey, the airport said.
It caused six passengers and six crew members to be injured.
Plane arrived in Dublin as scheduled
According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the plane, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, took off from Doha on Sunday morning.
Within two hours of its journey, it started flying over Turkey.
Despite the turbulence, it arrived in Dublin on schedule after a flight time of six hours and 49 minutes.
Dublin Airport said it landed shortly before 1pm local time, safely as scheduled.
It was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and the Fire and Rescue department.
Source: RTÉ News on X
Eight passengers taken to hospital
In an update on X, Dublin Airport said all the passengers on QR017 were assessed for injuries before they disembarked.
While 12 people on board were reported to be injured, only eight passengers were taken to hospital.
Qatar Airways’ return flight to Doha, QR018, will operate as normal but would be delayed, the airport said.
FlightRadar24 showed that QR018 took off more than one hour later than scheduled.
Flight operations at Dublin Airport were unaffected by the incident and continued as normal, the airport added.
The airport is providing full assistance on the ground to passengers and crew members.
Passengers describe ‘scary’ experience
A few passengers on board were reportedly disturbed by the incident.
When interviewed by Ireland’s RTÉ News, a female passenger described it as “very scary” and “the worst experience… on an airplane” after “flying back and forth for years”.
Source: RTÉ News on X
Another passenger said the plane dipped for about five seconds, throwing the flight attendant into the air.
A woman confirmed that the flight attendant “went into the air”.
Source: RTÉ News on X
Other flight attendants had scratches on their faces and were putting ice on their wounds. One girl had a sling on her arm, she said.
There was also a “look of panic everywhere”, she added.
A male passenger said he was having dinner when his meal came off his lap, adding:
Food (was) all over the plane, on the ceiling, everywhere.
He also showed the reporter that a huge hole had been torn in his pants.
Source: RTÉ News on X
The whole situation was “just atrocious”, he said. “Never again.”
Mr Adam Dalton, a game developer from Dublin, said on X that he felt like he was on a rollercoaster.
Source: @robotiguy on X
Though the incident lasted about three to five seconds, it was “a bit of a shock”, with food and drink spilling everywhere.
Tom, a sales manager also from Dublin, said the pilot was slow to explain what happened and kept going on towards Dublin.
Source: @mal_toa on X
However, the stewards were “great” after the initial panic had passed.
He added that the turbulence struck about an hour after take-off.
Qatar Airways doesn’t mention turbulence, says injuries are minor
In a statement on X, Qatar Airways confirmed that QR017 had landed safely in Dublin, without mentioning the turbulence.
Source: @qatarairways on X
The airline also said that “a small number” of passengers and crew had sustained injuries during the flight but described their injuries as “minor”.
They are receiving medical attention, it added, noting:
The matter is now subject to an internal investigation. The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority.
Also read: SQ321 aircraft flies back to Singapore from Bangkok 5 days after severe turbulence
SQ321 aircraft flies back to Singapore from Bangkok 5 days after severe turbulence
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Featured image adapted from RTÉ News on X.
