Video footage showed an Iranian passenger jet plunged into chaos Tuesday when intense, sudden shaking appeared to rip through the cabin, sending overhead bins and ceiling panels crashing down around travelers.
The incident occurred aboard a Sepehran Airlines Boeing 737 flying over Iran after departing Mashhad for Kermanshah, according to Jam Press.
The aircraft may have sustained engine damage and suffered a blown tire during takeoff, the outlet reported.
As the disturbance intensified, sections of the cabin interior appeared to break apart. Ceiling panels and fragments from damaged overhead compartments fell onto passengers, who could be heard screaming and praying while shielding themselves from the debris.
Passengers hold onto seats and overhead compartments after a reported malfunction forced an emergency landing in Mashhad, Iran, on Tuesday. (JamPress)
The pilot reportedly declared an emergency and requested permission to return to Mashhad Hashemi Nejad International Airport.
The plane landed safely, Jam Press reported, citing NeedToKnow. None of the 127 passengers and crew members was reported injured.
Passengers react inside a damaged Sepehran Airlines flight before the pilot made an emergency landing back at Mashhad, Iran. (JamPress)
The emergency temporarily shut down one of the airport’s two runways.
Reports said authorities have opened an investigation into what caused the incident.
Passengers were reportedly transferred to another flight so they could continue their journey.
Ceiling panels dangle inside a Sepehran Airlines cabin after violent shaking caused interior damage shortly after takeoff from Mashhad, Iran. (JamPress)
Jam Press reported that decades of international sanctions have made it difficult for Iran’s aviation industry to obtain newer Western-built aircraft, authentic spare parts and other modern equipment.
As a result, Iranian airlines have had to operate older planes while carrying out complex maintenance work across their fleets.
