A routine international flight departing Australia turned into a terrifying ordeal this week, when sudden, unanticipated severe turbulence threw the cabin into chaos and left multiple passengers and crew members injured, airline and medical authorities have confirmed. The incident unfolded on Cathay Pacific Flight CX156, roughly two hours ahead of its scheduled landing at Hong Kong International Airport, catching crew and travelers completely off guard as breakfast service was just getting underway. Without any prior warning from the cockpit or activation of the seatbelt sign, two successive waves of violent turbulence hit the aircraft just 15 to 20 seconds apart, sending loose objects—from smartphones and breakfast trays to hot coffee and food items—flying throughout the cabin. Unbelted passengers and crew members, who were moving through the aisles to serve meals, were thrown violently upward, with many striking the overhead cabin panels before falling back into seats or the aisle floor. When the turbulence subsided, the cabin was left in disarray: food splattered across seats, walls and floors, spilled drinks soaked through passenger belongings, and injured people waited for assistance. Among those on board the flight were four traveling doctors, who immediately stepped in to provide urgent first aid to the injured before landing. Cathay Pacific later confirmed official injury counts: 10 people total, including six cabin crew members and four passengers, were hurt during the event. Eight of those injured required inpatient hospital care after the aircraft landed safely at approximately 6:45 a.m. local time in Hong Kong. Nicholas Stevenson, a Cairns-based businessman who was a passenger on the flight, described the harrowing experience to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), recalling that the sudden drop and jolting left many travelers convinced the plane would crash. “I thought the plane was going down. There were phones flying, coffees smashed into the roof, food absolutely everywhere,” Stevenson said. “People were screaming. There was a lot of people really freaking out.” He added that the turbulence struck at the moment the cabin crew had just woken passengers, turned on the cabin lights, and began distributing breakfast meals, leaving no time for people to return to their seats and fasten their belts. “There was no seatbelt sign or warning before hand,” Stevenson explained. “The first one [episode of turbulence] caught everyone completely off guard… Anyone that didn’t have their belts on hit the roof.” Speaking after landing, the pilot told passengers the turbulence was caused by an overnight thunderstorm cell that evaded early detection, according to Stevenson. Because of the darkness covering the region at the time, the storm system did not appear on the aircraft’s weather radar until it was too late to avoid the turbulence. With the plane already close to its destination and no immediate alternate landing site available to divert to, the crew continued the flight to Hong Kong. After landing, all able passengers were asked to remain in their seats while first responders escorted injured passengers and crew off the aircraft first for immediate medical care. Representatives for Cathay Pacific confirmed the details of the incident to ABC, and media outlets have since reached out to the airline for further comment on safety protocols and potential changes to procedures. The incident has renewed casual conversation among travel experts about the persistent risk of unexpected clear-air or thunderstorm-related turbulence, even on routine long-haul flights, and the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened whenever seated during flight.
‘Thought the plane was going down’: Chaotic scenes as Cathay Airlines flight from Brisbane rocked by turbulence, eight hospitalised
