Passengers on an Airasia flight recently criticized crew members who seemed to have overreacted when the plane started losing cabin air pressure and plunging, The Independent reported. The passengers narrated the incident and how the airliner dropped around 20,000 feet.

They accused the flight crew of further creating panic because of the reactions. AirAsia flight QZ535 took off from Australia and was supposed to head toward Bali in Indonesia.

But after the incident occurred, more than 140 passengers were safely returned to the airport at Perth where they began slamming the crew’s actions. One of those on board the aircraft, Clare Askew said that the staff screamed and appeared tearful, Yahoo! Australia reported.

The passengers were surprised on how the attendants looked even more scared than them instead of providing them with the reassurance of safety. Commonly, the flight attendants are the ones responsible for reminding the passengers to calm down during instances such as intense turbulence and emergency landing.

Screaming

When the plane started to lose cabin pressure and drop down low, some of the cabin crew members also began screaming, “Emergency!

Emergency!” The aircraft quickly descended to around 3,000 meters, an altitude at which oxygen masks were unnecessary because of pressurized cabins.

However, accident investigation units from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau stated that investigation has started on AirAsia’s depressurization when it was at around 10,000 meters. The plane plunged around 7,000 meters within nine minutes.

After the crew members screamed, the passengers also started panicking even if they stayed calm before the staff started reacting, another customer Mark Bailey said. Some of the passengers were even prompted to pick up their phones and contact their relatives to send messages of goodbye.

Pilots commended

AirAsia, an airline company known for their affordable rates, released a statement that commended the flight’s pilots for being able to land the aircraft safely and comply with all the safety procedures.

The company’s head of safety Captain Ling Liong Tien said they are fully committed to the safety of their patrons as they continue to ensure adherence to standards.

This was not the first time that the attendants of this particular airline company drew flak because of their actions. In June, an AirAsia flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia had a crew member suggesting that their customers pray after the engines failed.

The disgruntled passengers on flight QZ535 were eventually transferred to the next available trip. The company has already apologized for the inconvenience caused by the incident.