A pilot on an airplane that began shaking violently for an unknown reason asked passengers twice over the loudspeaker to pray.
The pilot, who had 44 years of experience, made the announcement after a loud bang was heard and then the aircraft started to shake “like a washing machine,” the New York Post reported. The flight was going from Perth, Australia, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Passengers were sleeping when the shaking began. Some were terrified by the vibrations and by the crew’s reaction.
“I hope you all say a prayer, I will be saying a prayer too and let’s hope we all get back home safely,” the pilot said, the Post reported.
Rolls-Royce, the maker of the engine on the Airbus A330, told CNN it was investigating the issue. Preliminary findings suggest it was an engine failure or seizure, Jalopnik reported.
The engine failure caused the plane to lose altitude, but it was able to land safely.