Passengers on board flight that hit ‘severe turbulence’ claim crew told them to delete all evidence they had

Passengers on board a flight that hit ‘severe turbulence’ have claimed the cabin crew told them to delete all evidence they had after making an emergency landing.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Lufthansa flight from from Austin, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, ran into 'significant turbulence' on March 1, causing chaos for those on board.

The Airbus A330 had been flying over Tennessee at an altitude of 37,000 feet before it was quickly diverted to make an emergency landing in Washington Dulles International Airport.

Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves was one of many passengers who shared footage of tumultuous scenes.

The model's short clip shows the aftermath of the heart-stopping experience, with bread rolls, napkins and plates scattered across the floor from where they had escaped the plane's food service.

Officials said seven people on board the flight were taken to local hospitals after it landed in Virginia, though Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesman Michael Cabbage said the injuries were believed to be minor.

One of those who faced physical repercussions was Rolanda Schmidt, who spoke to Insider and accused the staff of trying to urge passengers to delete all photos and videos of the incident.

Recalling the traumatic experience, she said she banged her head twice – once on the tray table case on the seat in front of her when the plane first dropped, and then again when they ascended abruptly, causing her to fly out of her seat and hit the ceiling.

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Schmidt told the outlet: "It felt like it hit the eye of a tornado. It would not stop. I thought we were going down."

The passenger went on to say that everyone on board was screaming or in tears, adding: "It was one of those moments where within five-to-ten minutes of processing, you knew you were going to die and we didn't know if we were going to make it safely anywhere.

"It felt like the insides of your body were being shaken out."

When the flight did safely land, Schmidt claims that a flight attendant told people over the loudspeaker to 'delete all your pictures and videos'.

She alleges that the same cabin crew member made the same announcement a second time, implying it was to protect other passengers' privacy.

"I think we were all just like, 'What?!'" Schmidt said. "That's not the way that it came across, saying 'delete all of your pictures' and all of that."

Lufthansa

What made the situation more confusing is that it didn't seem like people were recording those around them, but rather the mess that was created inside the cabin.

Additionally, Schmidt suggested that the injuries were downplayed, having sustained a concussion, a bruised arm and a potentially fractured hip.

Another passenger on board the same flight reiterated the allegations about deleting evidence to Insider.

UNILAD has contacted Lufthansa for a comment.