Southwest Airlines New Orleans Landing Attempt Makes Passengers Scream, Cry, Vomit

A Southwest Airlines landing attempt in New Orleans during a severe storm made passengers scream, cry and vomit when the pilot had to abort before touching down and then land at another airport 330 miles away.

Southwest flight 3461, which originated in Fort Lauderdale, was attempting to land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport when the plane became unsteady, WWL-TV reported.

"We came through the clouds and the plane was just tilting back and forth," said WWL-TV reporter Lauren Bale, who was a passenger on the flight. "It was going all over the place. People were screaming, people were crying."

The Daily Mail reported that weather forecasters had issued a tornado watch for the New Orleans on Saturday as heavy rain engulfed the region, with hail and wind gust registering 70 miles per hour.

"It felt like I was about to lift off," passenger Marie Wray told WWL-TV. "I felt like I was done. I felt like I was about to see baby Jesus and Papa God."

The pilot aborted the landing and flew on to Panama City, Florida, to wait out the storm, the television station wrote.

"You couldn't see anything," Sharon Bikoundou, another passenger, told WWL-TV. "No visibility. Right as he was about to land he pulled back up."

Wray credited the pilot with attempting to calm passengers has he navigated the airplane out of harm's way. The flight managed to return to New Orleans about 2:30 p.m.

"The pilot was amazing," Wray told WWL-TV. "He was very calm. He reassured us that he got this."

Bale, though, was critical of Southwest in several Twitter posts during the flight.

I'm a loyal Southwest customer but I cannot believe @SouthwestAir just tried to land in New Orleans during severe weather that meteorologists have been tracking for days. People were screaming and crying. Most terrifying experience of my life. pic.twitter.com/iYeFPCUyO1

— Lauren Bale (@LaurenBaleWWLTV) April 14, 2018

The flight attendants were yelling over the speakers to fasten seat belts as tightly as possible and I was texting my family goodbye. I just don't understand why @SouthwestAir put everyone in that situation

— Lauren Bale (@LaurenBaleWWLTV) April 14, 2018

We're now in Panama City waiting out the storm. This was all 100% preventable but @SouthwestAir took a huge risk and I honestly feel lucky to be alive. #lawx #southwest

— Lauren Bale (@LaurenBaleWWLTV) April 14, 2018

Southwest Airlines told the television station that it was collecting reports from the flight and would contact passengers.

"Our top focus is safety," Southwest Airlines said in a statement to WWL-TV. "Flight 3461 from Fort Lauderdale to New Orleans arrived about four hours behind schedule after persistent thunderstorms over New Orleans forced prolonged holding near New Orleans awaiting clearance from air traffic controllers followed by a refueling stop in Panama City before the completion of the journey. The safety of our customers and employees as well the safe operation of every flight is our highest priority."

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