Passengers on an El Al plane headed to Israel from Brussels got the scare of their lives - which many believed had come to an end - when their plane was stuck inside major turbulence.
The plane apparently got caught up in a “vertical wind vortex,” a weather phenomenon that causes unstable winds and can wreak havoc with planes flying through it.
Passengers reported that the plane flew through extreme turbulence, so bad that the overhead bins opened up, sending heavy flight bags and carry-ons flying through the passenger compartment.
Trays, bottles, and other dangerous objects barely missed the heads of some passengers.
Passengers who were caught without their seatbelts on also fell, with some reportedly injured.
The plane began to lose altitude, passengers said, and many began saying what they thought were their last prayers. The incident lasted for about 20 minutes, after which things calmed down, allowing passengers to recuperate.
A similar incident occurred Tuesday on a Swiss Airlines plane bound from Zurich to Tel Aviv. That flight, too, went through some unusual weather, with major turbulence.
Airline officials said that the lesson to be drawn from the incidents was to pay attention to the fasten seat belt sign on flights, follow its instructions when it is lit, and take those instructions seriously.