'I Thought It Was All Over': Air India Passenger Thanks Pilot After Turbulence | WATCH Viral Video

An Air India passenger who survived severe turbulence on a Phuket-Delhi flight said he initially feared his journey was over, but praised the pilot and crew for handling the situation. In a viral video, he said the incident was caused by weather, not the airline, and thanked the injured crew for helping passengers. At least 17 people were injured.

A passenger on an Air India flight that was hit by severe turbulence has shared an emotional video describing the frightening experience and thanking the pilot and cabin crew for helping passengers. In the video, the passenger says he is not interested in blaming the airline. Instead, he says he is simply grateful that he survived the incident and reached the ground safely.

“Question answers? No, I’m happy that I got saved,” he wrote in the caption accompanying the video. He also said the incident was about the weather and not Air India.

‘I thought it was all over’

The passenger said the flight was on day 98 of his 365-day journey and admitted that, during the turbulence, he briefly thought his trip had come to an end.

He praised the pilots and crew for continuing to manage the situation despite some of them being injured themselves.

“I would like to thank the pilot and the crew who themselves being injured handled the situation,” he wrote.

He also said he saw more than 20 passengers being taken away in wheelchairs after the aircraft landed and hoped everyone was safe.

According to the passenger, the frightening situation also brought people together inside the aircraft.

“Everyone took care of each other like a real human when it came to life,” he wrote.

Passenger says weather was to blame

In the video, the passenger appears to push back against social media criticism aimed at Air India following the incident. He says people were blaming the airline, but he believed the severe weather was responsible for what happened.

He also described the crew as helpful and said they handled the situation well. His comments have since triggered a wider discussion online, with many users praising the pilots and cabin crew for bringing the aircraft safely to the ground.

Some users agreed that turbulence can happen to flights operated by any airline and said it was unfair to automatically blame the carrier for weather conditions.

Others used the incident to remind passengers why they should follow crew instructions and keep their seatbelts fastened whenever they are seated.

Social media users praise pilots and crew

The video has received a mixed response online. Many viewers thanked the passenger for sharing his account and praised him for recognising the efforts of the crew.

One user wrote that pilots 'saved the day', while another said the incident showed why passengers should keep their seatbelts fastened. Several users pointed out that cabin crew repeatedly ask passengers to remain seated and wear their seatbelts for precisely such situations.

Others said turbulence can be sudden and that passengers should not assume a flight is unsafe simply because it encounters bad weather. At the same time, some users continued to question Air India's safety standards and raised concerns about the injuries reported after the incident.

At least 17 people injured

The Air India flight was travelling from Phuket to New Delhi when it encountered severe turbulence. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday that the aircraft experienced severe turbulence for around four to five minutes.

At least 17 people, including four cabin crew members, were injured. Some crew members suffered spinal and neck injuries.

The aircraft also reportedly lost around 300 feet in altitude during the incident. Despite the sudden turbulence, the flight landed safely in Delhi.

Medical teams were ready to attend to passengers and crew after the aircraft landed.

DGCA begins investigation

The incident is now being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Naidu said the aircraft was immediately secured after landing and moved to a separate hangar.

The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have also been taken into the custody of the aviation regulator. The minister said the DGCA would examine exactly what happened and why the aircraft encountered the severe turbulence.

He said the findings would be made public once the facts have been established.