Sichuan Airline
Recently, the “bomb cyclone” phenomenon has caused widespread power outages, disrupted transportation, and resulted in casualties across parts of the United States and Canada. During this time, a Sichuan Airlines flight traveling from Chengdu to Vancouver faced severe weather conditions caused by the bomb cyclone during its descent. On November 22, a passenger aboard the flight reported that the plane made multiple unsuccessful landing attempts, with severe turbulence causing many passengers to vomit.
On November 19 (local time), the bomb cyclone struck British Columbia’s coast, toppling power poles, causing widespread outages, and disrupting transportation. Parts of the U.S. Northwest were also affected. Reports from Washington State detailed fallen trees crushing vehicles and homes, resulting in at least two fatalities and several injuries.
According to a scientific article by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a bomb cyclone is an explosive cyclonic system that forms over mid- to high-latitude oceans. It is characterized by rapid intensification, accompanied by strong winds, extreme cold, and blizzards. Such systems can lead to storm surges, infrastructure damage, and travel disruptions. Satellite imagery shows the spiraling cloud bands of bomb cyclones stretching thousands of kilometers—comparable in scale to, or larger than, hurricanes.
On November 21, U.S. meteorologists forecasted a second storm system, also termed a bomb cyclone, to hit the Northwest that evening. Canada’s Environment Department also issued warnings about a new storm approaching southwestern British Columbia. Although less intense than the previous one, it was expected to slow recovery efforts and potentially cause further damage.
During this period, Sichuan Airlines flight 3U3859, en route from Chengdu to Vancouver on November 19, experienced a harrowing situation. A passenger, identified as Xiao Hua (pseudonym), stated that the plane attempted to land three times but had to pull up abruptly each time due to sudden weather-induced drops and ascents. The turbulence was so severe that multiple passengers and crew members began vomiting.
“Even the flight attendants were vomiting, yet they continued assisting passengers,” said another passenger, Wang Wei (pseudonym). Wang added that during the final landing, passengers watched the live feed from onboard cameras as the rear wheels touched down smoothly, followed by the front wheels without a bounce or sudden lift. “The captain did an incredible job. The landing was flawless,” Wang remarked.
Videos shared by passengers on social media captured the chaos onboard, with audible sounds of vomiting, crew members struggling to walk through the turbulence, and repeated reminders for passengers to fasten their seat belts. One passenger humorously noted that when vomit bags were being passed around, someone joked that they thought it was paper for writing a “last will.”
Flight tracking data from FlightAware confirmed that during the final phase of flight 3U3859, the aircraft repeatedly ascended and descended between 6,000 meters and 2,000 meters.
