Plane passengers left vomiting as Storm Jocelyn chaos saw landings aborted

25 January 2024 , 10:45

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Marcia and Stuart Wild were aboard the "roller coaster" flight (Image: Marcia and Stuart Wild)

Passengers aboard a plane buffeted by high winds in Storm Jocelyn which twice aborted landing at Manchester Airport were thrown around “like a roller coaster”, causing a woman to be ill into a bag.

The Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 had been due to land at Manchester on Wednesday after taking off from Singapore Changi Airport. However after two attempts to touch down were aborted over the high winds buffeting the flight its pilots were forced to declare an emergency and divert to East Midlands Airport to refuel.

Those onboard were kept in the dark over the lack of fuel aboard until they landed in Birmingham where the captain explained they were only stopping briefly for a top up. Passenger Stuart Wild, 64, who was returning to the UK with wife Marcia after spending 60 days in New Zealand and Australia with family, said: “The plane was rocking and rolling.

“When we took off from Singapore we had to drop from 35,000 to 25,000 because of turbulence. Coming into Manchester it was bumpy as we came into land. We tried to land and then took off again, did a large circle and then tried again but had to take off. Next thing we knew we were told we had to go to East Midlands Airport.

“At one point the whole plane just dropped, it was like a roller coaster. The woman in front was sick into a bag.”

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The flight was twice forced to abort its landing at Manchester Airport (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The flight landed at East Midlands Airport where passengers started to gather their bags before they were told they were refuelling and would fly back to Manchester. On its return it finally landed and the passengers were able to disembark.

Mr Wild added: “We weren’t told about the lack of fuel, although I said to my wife I don’t think we had enough to have tried again. I’m ex-Royal Navy and know planes don’t carry a lot of extra fuel

“It was a funny atmosphere on the plane. The captain was very calm. When we were at East Midlands I got up and said to a few people ‘at least we are on the ground - even if it is the wrong airport.’”

A spokesman for Singapore Airlines said the safety of its passengers and crew was their “top priority”. They added: “Singapore Airlines flight SQ52, operating from Singapore to Manchester Airport on 24 January, diverted to East Midlands Airport due to high winds in the area.

"After refuelling, flight SQ52 subsequently departed East Midlands Airport at 11:44 and arrived safely at Manchester Airport at 12:24. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused, however the safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority.”

Antony Clements-Thrower