Turkish Airlines flight faces terrifying storm, faiils 3 landing attempts

A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Tunis was forced to abandon three landing attempts after encountering severe turbulence and stormy weather near Tunisia’s Tunis-Carthage International Airport, leaving passengers frightened and screaming inside the cabin.

Flight TK661 was approaching Tunis-Carthage International Airport when the weather suddenly became a major challenge for the crew. The flight had reportedly been routine until the aircraft began its descent, when strong turbulence and powerful winds made the approach increasingly difficult.

According to international media reports, pilots attempted to land the aircraft three times, but each attempt was disrupted by the storm. Unable to safely complete the landing, the crew ultimately decided to divert the aircraft to another airport.

A passenger, Marina Meskaya, shared video footage of the frightening experience on her Instagram account. The footage showed passengers gripping their seats as the aircraft was shaken by the turbulent conditions, with some reportedly screaming in fear.

In her caption, Meskaya said the pilots made three attempts to land despite the severe weather. She described the third attempt as particularly frightening, saying the aircraft suddenly appeared to drop rapidly, intensifying panic among those onboard.

As the situation worsened, passengers reportedly began calling for the aircraft to be taken to another country or diverted to a safer airport rather than attempting another landing in the storm.

The crew eventually changed course and diverted the flight to Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, located around 60 miles south of Tunis-Carthage. The aircraft successfully landed there, bringing an end to the tense ordeal.

Meskaya later expressed relief over the safe landing and thanked the pilots for handling the difficult situation.

There were no immediate reports of injuries among passengers or crew.

The incident highlights the challenges pilots can face when severe weather develops during the critical landing phase of a flight. Strong crosswinds, turbulence and rapidly changing conditions can make approaches particularly difficult, forcing crews to abandon a landing and divert to another airport when safety requires it.

For the passengers aboard TK661, however, the frightening moments ended safely after the crew made the decision to leave the storm behind and land at an alternative airport.