On a Lufthansa flight that encountered severe turbulence, the crew reportedly asked passengers to delete any photos or videos of the incident before the emergency landing at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC.
According to an Insider report, the flight attendant made two announcements before landing, requesting passengers to delete any images they may have captured. One passenger, Rolanda Schmidt, told the media outlet that the second announcement suggested that the request was to safeguard passenger privacy.
Ms. Schmidt recounted that the plane experienced a major drop during the turbulence, resulting in food and personal belongings being thrown around the cabin. She was one of seven individuals who sustained injuries during the flight and suffered a concussion, bruised arm, and potentially fractured hip.
“I thought we were going down,” she said.
Although several passengers reported being asked to delete photos, some images became social media, revealing debris scattered on the cabin floor. Among those on the flight was actor Matthew McConaughey’s wife, Camila Alves, who shared a video of the incident on Instagram.
She captioned the video, “To respect the privacy of those around me, that’s all I am showing, but the plane was a CHAOS, and the turbulence kept coming. I was told the plane dropped almost 4,000 feet, and seven people went to the hospital. Everything was flying everywhere.”
Lufthansa has not revealed the cause of the turbulence, which led to the emergency landing. However, the incident highlights the airline’s concern over passenger privacy, which could be compromised if images of an unsettling event are shared without permission. Despite the request, several passengers chose to ignore it, leading to images being circulated on social media.
While sharing these images can provide valuable information to the public, it is important to respect the privacy of others, particularly in situations where individuals may have been injured or traumatized.
