Camila Alves McConaughey reveals she was on ‘chaos’ Lufthansa flight that plummeted 4,000ft
Unharmed Brazilian model married to Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey posts video capturing aftermath of turbulence-hit plane
Camila Alves McConaughey, the wife of Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey, has revealed she was on the Lufthansa flight that plummeted 4,000 feet after experiencing major turbulence on Wednesday evening.
Lufthansa flight LH469 was en route from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt in Germany when it had to be diverted to Dulles International Airport in Virginia just outside of Washington, DC, at around 9.10pm after running into difficulty.
Upon landing, seven people had to be taken to hospitals in the area.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that the flight crew reported encountering significant turbulence while flying over Tennessee at an altitude of 37,000 feet.
The FAA has said it will investigate the incident, which involved an Airbus A330.
“The plane landed safely at IAD. Authority personnel responded to the flight and transported seven people to local hospitals,” the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) said in a statement, according to The Daily Beast.
Ms Alves McConaughey, a Brazilian model, 41, posted a short phone video on Instagram on Thursday showing bread rolls, napkins, dinner trays and passengers’ personal belongings strewn across the aisle as a result of the turbulence.
“On Flight last night, plane dropped almost 4000 feet, 7 people went to the hospital, Everything was flying everywhere,” she wrote.
“To respect the privacy of those around me that’s all I am showing but the plane was a CHAOS And the turbulence keep on coming.
“The Lufthansa flight you are seeing on the news today!!!! Yes…that one. Thank God everyone was safe and ok.”
She continued: “I must say everyone at Marriott Bonvoy by the airport of Washington where we had to divert to and spend the night was so kind.
“And we made it to the bar with 1 minute before closing…slept well, getting on new flight today, To the journey I continue… Karin Lacy was a savior with me until 1am working on new flights!!!”
Other passengers told NBC Washington on Thursday that the flight had started with a small amount of turbulence but that it was going well until the incident, with the crew serving food and drinks when the plane dropped sharply twice within the span of 20 seconds.
Jazz Kantipudi told the local outlet that he saw a member of the flight crew hit the floor as he lost his footing while handing out drinks.
“He was literally standing up serving drinks, so he had no way to brace himself,” Mr Kantipudi told NBC.
“At one of the drops, he literally, completely, hit the ceiling and dropped down and was completely horizontal.”
“I looked to my right and I saw him just up there, and it was honestly kind of freaky... like something out of a movie,” he added.
Another passenger said the pilot told those on board that the plane had dropped about 4,000 feet.
The MWAA said the crews reviewed the passengers’ injuries after the emergency landing before seven of them were taken to hospital and the plane was offloaded.
Lufthansa said the flight “encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff” and that the crew “made an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles Airport as a precautionary measure,” according to The Washington Post.
One passenger told the newspaper that the plane went into “free fall” at the beginning of the dinner service.
The individual – speaking anonymously, concerned that they might not receive compensation from the airline if they revealed their identity – told The Post that both people and food “went flying into the air, hitting and even damaging the ceiling of the plane”.
A passenger in front of them was “badly hurt” and had blood covering their seat and was later taken off the plane in a wheelchair.
The passenger speaking to The Post, as well as their travelling companion, was uninjured but food and wine had ruined their clothes.
The airline paid for them to stay in a hotel and also paid for a taxi but did not compensate for other expenses, the passenger told The Post.
The airline said ground staff at Dulles were “currently attending to the well-being of passengers and rebooking them accordingly” and said they regretted the “inconvenience caused to passengers”.
Lufthansa told The Independent in a statement that the flight “encountered brief but severe turbulence about 90 minutes after takeoff. The Lufthansa flight made an unscheduled landing at Washington Dulles Airport as a precautionary measure”.
“After the Airbus A330-300 landed, affected passengers received medical attention,” a spokesperson said.
“Lufthansa ground staff at Dulles are currently attending to the well-being of passengers and rebooking them accordingly. The company is currently reviewing the exact situation together with its own staff and with national and international authorities.
“Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority at all times.”
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