Ranker Readers Are Sharing Their Worst Flying Experiences

From Facebook commenter Tyrita White:

After almost an hour in the air, one of the engines catches on fire and starts failing. A lot of turbulence and lights flickering. People were crying and panicking. We could see the torch from the fire on the left side of the plane. They were prepping us for an emergency landing.

It was the WORST experience I ever had, flying. A pure NIGHTMARE! We landed safely but never made it to the gate. Our plane broke down as soon as it touched the ground. We had to sit and wait to get pushed to our gate. I waited almost 10 years before I got on another plane.

From Facebook commeenter Kelly Halter:

Flying in a Cessna. Trying to leave Bethel, [AK,] in a blizzard. We spun around and went up and down! We were crying and praying! We ended up doing an emergency landing on the ice.

From Facebook commenter Kelly Martin:

I flew on a puddle-jumper from Charlotte to Charleston, WV. We hit a [patch] of bad turbulence, and the guy sitting next to me couldn’t handle it.

He expelled ALL of the contents of his stomach, and it smelled like sulfur. I have never smelled something so bad in my life.

From Facebook commenter Linda Beetschen:

The wings froze over, and we almost ditched in the ocean.

From Facebook commenter Brett Ransome:

Pulling out of Miami and heading to Venezuela, we were [15] minutes in when we had to turn back. The pilot comes on and warns it’s not smoke coming off the wings - we are dumping fuel in case of a difficult landing.

We landed fine amidst fire trucks, and the plane was foamed down; never told them what went wrong, but I called my mom from the plane on the Sat phone once we turned around.

From Facebook commenter Ann Kattos:

We hit soo much turbulence once, and the cabin doors opened and luggage was flying around. I thought for sure we were going down!! Never, ever got on a plane since!!