Chaos in the Skies: What Forced a German Plane to Make an Emergency Landing?
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Medics in hazmat suits were filmed boarding a plane in Germany after a suspected norovirus outbreak left multiple passengers being violently sick onboard.
Dramatic video shows health workers in white protective gear boarding Eurowings Flight 9631 on the runway at Dusseldorf Airport after crew requested a priority landing on Sunday evening.
Multiple passengers began vomiting mid-flight not long after the plane took off from the Greek island of Rhodes, passenger Nathalie Gombik, 28, told NeedToKnow.
“I know for certain that three passengers were affected, but it appeared that approximately three more were also experiencing symptoms. Some passengers were vomiting during the flight,” Gombik, a bartender, said of the scary scenes she filmed.
“Seeing so many ambulances and emergency personnel in protective clothing after landing was quite shocking,” she said.
The cabin crew alerted emergency services, who were waiting on the runway when the plane landed in Dusseldorf.
“The flight attendants remained calm, composed, and discreet throughout the incident. As passengers, we barely noticed the extent of what was happening behind the scenes,” Gombik said.
“At the time, we had no idea that a mass casualty incident had reportedly been declared, that numerous ambulances had been mobilized, or that our aircraft had reportedly been given priority for landing,” Gombik went on.
She added that passengers were held on board the flight for around 90 minutes before finally being allowed to disembark.
At least three passengers have been hospitalized with suspected norovirus, while Gombik also started suffering from the same symptoms on Tuesday, days after the flight.
The illnesses are suspected to be linked to a norovirus outbreak on Rhodes that began in July.
As of early October, more than 1,400 patients with suspected symptoms had been treated at Rhodes Hospital since Aug. 10, Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported.
The newspaper reported that the total number of cases recorded on the island since mid-July was around 1,800, but warned that the actual number was likely higher as it didn’t include patients treated by private doctors or those who hadn’t sought hospital treatment.
“We can confirm that several guests on Eurowings flight EW9631 from Rhodes to Dusseldorf on 18 October 2026 felt very unwell during the flight,” Eurowings said in a statement.
“The flight crew therefore requested a priority landing at Dusseldorf Airport. After landing, medical staff examined and cared for three affected guests on site. As a precaution, these guests went to hospital. All other guests continued their journeys home as normal,” the statement went on.
“There were 212 guests and seven crew members on board. The cause of the symptoms is unclear and is being looked into. The safety and health of our guests and crews is always Eurowings’ top priority,” Eurowings’ statement concluded.
