Footage has emerged showing the terrifying moment an AirAsia flight with 359 people on board started to shake violently.
Flight D7237 departed Perth Airport shortly before 7am on Sunday on its way to Malaysia but was forced to turn back when the engine 'seized up' less than two hours into the trip. Passengers on the flight reportedly heard a loud bang before the plane started to tremble. One later reported seeing that a blade had 'come off the turbine' of one of the engines. Footage taken by one passenger shows him staring into the camera with a stunned look on his face as the plane shakes through the air. Speaking to Channel Seven, Malik Mascarenhas said he feared for his life. 'The plane was really really limping home, it was shuddering, shuddering, shuddering. We all thought, you know, we're just going to go down,' he said.
Fellow passenger known only as Tim said there were 'lots of people crying, lots of people pulling out their life jackets'. 'Pretty much preparing. We thought there was a good chance we were going to go down,' he said.
In terrifying on-board footage, the AirAsia captain can be heard asking passengers to stay vigilant. 'Please pay attention and also please listen to everything, our survival depends on your cooperation,' he said.
Passenger Sophie Nicolas said she could tell the situation was 'really bad' judging by the cabin crew's reaction.
'He said 'I hope you all say a prayer, I will be saying a prayer too and let's hope we all get back home safely',' she said.
Passenger Brenton Atkinson told ABC News the plane had been shaking 'pretty bad' when the plane decided to turn back 'about an hour and a half' into the journey.
'It was essentially the engine seized up I think, that's what they told us anyway,' the 24-year-old said. He reported there was a small explosion before the plane returned to Perth. 'The whole thing, the plane started vibrating and shaking pretty bad, and we had to turn around and come back,' he said. 'It was literally like you were sitting on top of a washing machine.'
When the plane landed and passengers disembarked, Atkinson says he realised 'one of the blades had actually come off the turbine'. Perth teachers Damos Stevens and Mitch Jamieson filmed themselves sitting on the aeroplane as it shook through the air.
Stevens is heard on the video, which shows the harsh vibrations of the plane, saying: 'We'll be having 60million beers when we get back'. He told Daily Mail Australia the pilot said to 'say a prayer for us' as the plane returned to Perth.