An Air Asia flight travelling from Perth to Bali has been forced to make an emergency landing just minutes after take-off as crew noticed an issue with the cabin pressure.
Flight QZ535 from Perth International Airport to Denpasar turned back to the Western Australian base a mere 25 minutes after leaving the ground on Sunday morning.
As a safety precaution, oxygen masks fell from the cabin ceiling and passengers were told by the crew to get into their designated brace position.
Total panic: Passengers were forced to put on oxygen masks when the cabin lost pressure mid-air (pictured)
Leah went on to say that passengers were not informed about the imminent danger, and instead just watched frantic flight attendants rushing down the aisles of the plane
Passengers described the momentary panic as ‘terrifying’ as they thought they were going to die.
‘I actually picked up my phone and sent a text message to my family, just hoping that they would get it,’ Perth woman Leah told Nine News.
‘We were all pretty much saying goodbye to each other. It was really upsetting.’
Leah went on to say that passengers were not informed about the imminent danger, and instead just watched frantic flight attendants rushing down the aisles of the plane.
In a video released by a couple on the flight, a loud siren-type noise can be heard as passengers are seen waiting patiently with their oxygen masks on.
The couple look anxiously on and embrace each other.
Leah went on to say that passengers were not informed about the imminent danger, and instead just watched frantic flight attendants rushing down the aisles of the plane
The aircraft landed safely and the 145 passengers on board will be allocated to later flights.
In a statement, Air Asia said its engineers at Perth Airport were assessing the plane.
‘The safety of our guests is our utmost priority,’ the statement said.
‘AirAsia Indonesia apologises for any inconvenience caused.’
This isn’t the first time an Air Asia flight has failed to launch from Perth Airport.
Passengers described the momentary panic as ‘terrifying’ as they thought they were going to die (Air Asia plane pictured)
In June Flight D7237 departed Perth on its way to Malaysia but was forced to turn back when the engine ‘seized up’ less than two hours into the trip.
In terrifying on-board footage, the AirAsia captain was heard asking passengers to stay vigilant.
‘Please pay attention and also please listen to everything, our survival depends on your cooperation,’ he said.
Passenger Sophie Nicolas said she could tell the situation was ‘really bad’ judging by the cabin crew’s reaction.
‘He said ‘I hope you all say a prayer, I will be saying a prayer too and let’s hope we all get back home safely’,’ she said at the time.