Passengers onboard an AirAsia flight to Bali from Perth hugged each other and said goodbye as the plane reportedly dropped 20,000 feet.
Flight QZ535 to Denpasar suffered technical issues yesterday morning about 25 minutes into the flight, with the cabin reportedly de-pressurising.
The flight turned around and returned to Perth and landed safely, but passengers onboard told 9 NEWS the experience was terrifying.
"I thought I was going to die," a young boy said.
Others sent text messages to loved ones saying goodbye and video from the flight shows people holding each other.
Some said the incident was made much worse by the fact that cabin staff appeared panicked by the situation instead of keeping calm.
The airline has apologised in a statement, saying "the safety of our guests is our utmost priority".
"AirAsia Indonesia apologises for any inconvenience caused."
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