30 injured on 747 flight to Japan

Forty-seven people were injured Friday when a Northwest Airlines passenger plane from Manila was hit by turbulence while circling above waters off Chiba Prefecture awaiting permission to land at Narita airport, officials said. The injured passengers and crew members have been taken to hospitals near the airport, according to local fire department officials and Narita International Airport Corp, the operator of the airport.

Vincent Salazar, a 55-year-old American passenger, said he heard screams when the plane suddenly descended and then made an ascent about 30 minutes before landing. Some people who did not have their seatbelts fastened hit their heads on the ceiling and injured their necks.

"It really happened so fast and it was over," Salazar said. "We were flying and then the seatbelt sign came on and when we were trying to get back to the seats, the plane dropped and so some people went up and hit the top (ceiling)."

"I actually was pretty calm because I’ve flown a lot, but the lady next to me was screaming...And unfortunately some people weren’t in their seatbelts. They were just flying."