Passengers scream and cry and at least one vomits during terrifying Southwest Airlines plane landing in severe weather

  • Southwest Airlines Flight 3461 flew from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans
  • As the flight approached landing, severe weather forced pilot to reroute plane
  • Passengers were screaming, crying, and vomiting as plane swayed violently 
  • Thunderstorms, tornado watches, strong winds were pounding the area 
  • The plane made a refueling stop in Panama City, Florida before landing

By Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Passengers aboard a flight bound for New Orleans were screaming, crying, vomiting, and texting loved ones farewell as the pilot struggled to land the plane in the midst of stormy weather.

The scary incident took place aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 3461 from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans on Saturday.

The New Orleans area was experiencing tornado watches and heavy rainfall on Saturday.

Weather reports also said that New Orleans was due to experience wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and hail.

The scary incident took place aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 3461 from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans on Saturday. The above stock image shows a Southwest Airline plane preparing to land in Chicago in 2011

The scary incident took place aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 3461 from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans on Saturday. The above stock image shows a Southwest Airline plane preparing to land in Chicago in 2011

An employee of a television station was on board the plane and tweeted that it was the 'most terrifying experience of my life'

An employee of a television station was on board the plane and tweeted that it was the 'most terrifying experience of my life'

Lauren Bale tweeted that she 'feels lucky to be alive' after the flight

Lauren Bale tweeted that she 'feels lucky to be alive' after the flight

‘The flight attendants were yelling over the speakers to fasten seat belts as tightly as possible and I was texting my family goodbye,' she tweeted. ‘I just don't understand why [the airline] put everyone in that situation’

‘The flight attendants were yelling over the speakers to fasten seat belts as tightly as possible and I was texting my family goodbye,' she tweeted. ‘I just don't understand why [the airline] put everyone in that situation’

The plane was rerouted to Panama City, Florida for a refueling stop

The plane was rerouted to Panama City, Florida for a refueling stop

When the plane from Fort Lauderdale was approaching the tarmac to land in New Orleans’ Armstrong International Airport, the aircraft started to sway back and forth, according to WWL-TV.

‘It felt like I was about to lift off. I felt like I was done. I felt like I was about to see baby Jesus and Papa God,’ said one passenger, Marie Wary.

Lauren Bale, who works for WWL-TV, was also on board the flight.

‘We came through the clouds and the plane was just tilting back and forth.

‘It was going all over the place. People were screaming, people were crying,’ she said.

‘The flight attendants were yelling over the speakers to fasten seat belts as tightly as possible and I was texting my family goodbye.

‘I just don't understand why [the airline] put everyone in that situation.’

One passenger was vomiting during those harrowing moments.

The New Orleans area was experiencing tornado watches and heavy rainfall on Saturday. Weather reports also said that New Orleans was due to experience wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and hail. The route from Panama City to New Orleans is seen in the map above

The New Orleans area was experiencing tornado watches and heavy rainfall on Saturday. Weather reports also said that New Orleans was due to experience wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and hail. The route from Panama City to New Orleans is seen in the map above

As the pilot struggled to land, he pulled up and guided the plane out of the storm, rerouting it to Panama City, Florida for a refuelling stop.

‘The pilot was amazing,’ said Wary.

‘He was very calm. He reassured us that he got this.’

‘You couldn’t see anything. No visibility,’ said another passenger, Sharon Bikoundou.

‘Right as he was about to land he pulled back up.’

After refueling, the plane landed in New Orleans four hours behind schedule.

Given that the weather was so bad, passengers wondered why Southwest didn't cancel the flight.

The airline released a statement saying: 'Our top focus is safety. 

'Flight 3461 from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans arrived about four hours behind schedule after persistent thunderstorms over New Orleans forced prolonged holding near New Orleans awaiting clearance from air traffic controllers followed by a refueling stop in Panama City before the completion of the journey. 

'The safety of our customers and employees as well the safe operation of every flight is our highest priority.'  

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