A passenger on a flight from Dubai to Heathrow has recounted the terrifying moment the pilot struggled to land the aircraft amidst treacherous weather conditions. In recent developments, the Met Office has ramped up its weather warnings as Brits face the wrath of Storm Darragh with winds surpassing 90mph.
The storm’s ferocity has wreaked havoc on transportation nationwide, causing disruptions ranging from fallen trees blocking roads to failed aircraft landings.
Tragically, two men have perished in separate incidents linked to Storm Darragh after being struck by falling trees. In Lancashire, near Longton, a man in his 40s lost his life when a tree crashed onto his Citroen van. Another fatality occurred in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon, where a man died after a tree fell on his car, according to West Midlands Police.
Among the many passengers flying into the UK was Oxfordshire’s Pip Tomson. Scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 4.10pm yesterday, Pip’s landing experience was anything but smooth due to the gale-force winds unleashed by Storm Darragh.
Before departure, Pip had little worry about the weather, stating: “I’d been thinking to myself all day thank god we weren’t flying to Bristol as I’d seen the weather warnings there. I was thinking it was all in the west of the country and didn’t really think that Heathrow would be affected.”
As the aircraft prepared to touch down, it was clear that the turbulent winds were going to present a challenge for the pilot. From her window seat, Pip could see the severity of the weather and anticipated the difficulty in landing safely. She recalled: “We came into land coming through the clouds and I’m not a nervous flyer at all but I was like this is a bit bumpy, I’m not sure I like this.”
The pilot made three unsuccessful attempts to land before diverting the plane to Frankfurt. After a couple of hours on the runway, the plane returned to Heathrow to attempt a fourth landing.
Pip described: “The landing that time – you could still feel it but it wasn’t anything like before. Everyone clapped when we arrived at Heathrow. I’m a bit of an adventurous type so it takes a lot to scare me but it was one of those moments when we’ve tried to land three times – I was like ok this isn’t great.”
Pip could not praise the Emirates staff enough, saying: ” Pip had nothing but praise for the Emirates staff, stating: “They were so calm and patient, they made sure our safety was paramount at all times. The staff were absolutely brilliant, they were fantastic from beginning to end. It’s not something I’ll forget in a hurry. Everyone was very good natured, communication was great, the pilot was great and the crew were great.”
After a gruelling journey, one passenger expressed her relief at returning home, albeit hours behind schedule: “I was pleased to get in my front door, but when I opened the post and the first thing I opened was a parking ticket and that has annoyed me more than the long journey.”
She also took to social media to commend the airline staff for their exceptional service, adding: “Thank you @emirates and the whole crew on board EK31 for finally bringing us safely back to London tonight.”
