"I Prayed for a Safe Landing": Massive Waterspout Appears Just Before Landing at Phuket Airport

The Plane Circled in the Air for 30 Minutes Before Landing

A video showing an aircraft maneuvering around a massive waterspout?often called a "tornado of the sea" in Thailand?has gone viral. The aircraft, which was attempting to land, circled in the air for 30 minutes due to the waterspout (tornado) before landing safely.

On the 25th (local time), a waterspout phenomenon was captured near Phuket Airport in Thailand. Screenshot from social media (SNS) video

According to Taiwan's Mirror Media and other outlets, on the 25th (local time), an AirAsia flight departing from Bangkok and heading to Phuket encountered a massive waterspout (tornado) phenomenon over the nearby sea while attempting to land.

A passenger on board recorded the scene and shared the video online. The released footage shows the plane maneuvering around the rapidly rotating waterspout (tornado) that soared into the sky.

Passenger A said, "I was filming the view outside the window when suddenly the sky darkened and heavy rain began to pour. I soon witnessed a tornado forming over the sea." The passenger added, "The atmosphere in the cabin was filled with tension. I kept reciting prayers in my mind, hoping for a safe landing. It was a shocking experience?something that might happen only once in a lifetime."

Upon recognizing the situation, the captain immediately aborted the landing and changed course, circling in the air for about 30 minutes before landing safely.

The waterspout, often referred to as a tornado over water, is a natural phenomenon in which a powerful vortex rises from the sea to the sky in the form of a column. In Korea, it is called "yongoreum" because it resembles the mythical Imugi ascending to become a dragon.

This phenomenon is known to occur when hot, humid air at the surface rises rapidly and meets cold air in the upper atmosphere, causing severe atmospheric instability. It typically forms a funnel shape with a diameter ranging from a few meters to several hundred meters. Due to the intense rotational and movement speeds inside the funnel, waterspouts can be extremely dangerous to nearby ships and aircraft.

Viewers who watched the video commented, "The wonders of nature," "It looked amazing, but it was truly a dangerous moment," and "I'm now scared to fly."