The passenger captured video footage of one of the Hungarian fighter jets flying alongside her British Airways plane. Picture: YouTube/Zenobia
A BRITISH Airways passenger has told of the terrifying moment she thought a fighter was “ready to shoot us down”.
Sabrina Fawaz was flying from Dubai to London when the fighter jet sped past near the wing of the plane she was travelling in.
Her flight was intercepted by Hungarian fighter jets after a radio blackout meant it passed over the border unannounced.
The Sun reports that Hungarian air authorities issued their highest alert after the Heathrow bound plane failed to make contact with air traffic controllers on Saturday afternoon.
Two Hungarian air force Gripens were scrambled to meet the Boeing 777, with pilots poised to blow it out the sky if it was deemed a threat.
Sabrina told MailOnline Travel: “I really enjoy looking out of the window at the views. Especially the mountains when we fly over Iran.
British Airways passenger captures a fighter jet intercepting her plane0:49
British Airways passenger captures moment fighter jet passes her plane. Courtesy: YouTube/Zenobia.
“I was just looking out and my husband said ‘look at that plane’.
“It’s difficult to describe the feeling. You immediately imagine something’s wrong in the plane and you’re not aware of it or something’s wrong on the ground.
“My mouth went dry and I went hot and cold. It was terrifying.”
She added: “I thought it was ready to shoot us down. Usually you hear that when two fighter jets are scrambled, one is flying to the front of the plane to check that it’s OK and the second one is flying behind ready to shoot it down.”
Ms Fawaz later uploaded footage on YouTube of the fighter jet flying past.
The BA flight was en route from Dubai to Heathrow.
The fighter jet can be seen hovering above and under the passenger plane’s wing. Picture: YouTube/ZenobiaSource:Supplied
Air safety protocols insist pilots must make contact with air traffic controllers on the ground when passing from one country’s airspace to another.
A radio failure meant the plane, which was full of passengers, passed through without doing so.
The Gripens reportedly took off at 12.55pm local time before the BA flight made contact with ground control.
The jets returned to base at 13.21pm.
A BA spokesman said: “Communication was quickly restored with air traffic control and the flight landed normally at Heathrow.”
There have been past incidents of jets being scrambled to such high-level security alerts.
Terrified passengers on board Monarch airlines Flight ZB983 from Madeira to Birmingham spotted fighter jets sent to intercept the plane lost contact with air traffic control in French airspace.
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.
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