A Turkish Airlines passenger has spoken out after her flight plunged into violent turbulence while attempting to land in a North African storm, forcing the pilot to abort three times before diverting to another airport.
Marina Maiskaya, who was traveling with her mother, documented the terrifying descent on Instagram after the Istanbul-to-Tunis flight hit severe weather Thursday. The aircraft had been calm throughout most of the journey before conditions deteriorated dramatically as it approached Tunis-Carthage International Airport.
Maiskaya posted video showing fellow travelers gripping their seats and screaming as the plane shook violently during repeated landing attempts. The footage captures the chaos inside the cabin as the aircraft circled amid the storm.
“The flight itself was smooth, but things turned absolutely terrifying as soon as we began our descent,” she wrote on Instagram. “I have never in my life feared for my life like that — and my mom was with me, too.”
The pilot struggled against the elements, making three separate approaches to Tunis-Carthage before the situation became untenable. Each attempt brought fresh terror to those on board as the aircraft bucked and swayed in the turbulent air.
“We were shaken violently each time, and on the third attempt, we actually started to plummet,” Maiskaya wrote.
With conditions at Tunis-Carthage proving impossible, the flight crew elected to divert south. The aircraft touched down safely at Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, roughly 60 miles from the original destination.
Despite the harrowing experience, Maiskaya expressed gratitude for the crew’s handling of the emergency. “We made it through safely — perhaps thanks to the Turkish Airlines pilots,” she wrote.
The incident highlights the dangers that sudden weather changes can pose during the critical landing phase of commercial flights, even for experienced crews operating modern aircraft on established routes.
Turkish Airlines has not issued a public statement regarding the specific circumstances of Thursday’s flight or the decision-making process that led to the diversion.