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Passengers feared for lives as turbulence turns Etihad Airways plane back to Perth

Staff WriterSouthern Gazette

PASSENGERS on board an Etihad Airways flight from Perth to Abu Dhabi feared for their lives during a severe bout of turbulence last night.

The turbulence, which occurred when the plane was above Cervantes, was so bad the jet was turned back to Perth.

The plane, a Boeing 787-9, eventually landed back in Perth shortly before 7pm.

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Passenger Wendy told radio station 6PR people were screaming when the turbulence hit.

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever encountered in my life,” Wendy said.

“It was just like one of those horror movies.

“I thought we were actually going to die, I thought the plane was going to go down.

“Everything was going fine, then all of a sudden this turbulence.

“I felt like we were going to drop out of the sky.

“(The plane was) just shaking, we were all hanging on tightly to the seats in front of us, people were screaming.”

Etihad engineers have examined the plane, and it is expected to depart for Abu Dhabi again today.

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