Horrifying footage has captured the terror of passengers on a tourist plane which dropped hundreds of feet in a storm before being struck by lightning.

The Russian Azur Air Boeng 737-900 had 175 people on board when it went into freefall on Saturday, as it approached the Black Sea resort of Sochi in southwestern Russia.

The plane, which had left Ekanterinberg earlier that day, had to abort its flight plan and make an emergency landing in Krasnodar, around 180 miles north of Sochi.

One passenger said they were saying goodbye to life as the plane plummeted from the sky.

“Bottles and other small items scattered throughout the cabin.

“Then lightning hit us.

“There was a loud bang and a bright flash."

Passenger Yekaterina S shards a tearful selfie from onboard Russian Azur Air Boeing 737-800 (
Image:
Ekaterina S/east2west news)
Russian Azur Air Boeing 737-800 went into freefall was hit by a lightning while flying to Sochi, south of Russia (
Image:
east2west news)

The video captures the impact of turbulence on the plane after it was hit by lightning, then the moment the pilots manage to miraculously regain control of the plane and make an incredible emergency landing.

One tourist, Anna, told news outlet E1 that everyone was “shocked”.

“A woman next to me was crossing herself.I remembered all the prayers I knew,” she said.

“When the lightning struck, I turned around. A man sitting near had such fear in his eyes - I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Another woman, Anastasia, described the plane flying through huge grey clouds when suddenly lightning struck.

The flash was clearly visible, she said, and people quickly became scared, thinking the engine had been hit.

There was a shocking plunge just minutes earlier, as the plane dropped hundreds of feet due to severe turbulence caused by the storm.

The flight was hit by violent turbulence and struck by lightning (
Image:
E1/east2west news)
Yekaterina said the plane was in free fall for around four seconds (
Image:
Ekaterina S/east2west news)

Unsecured passengers slid around in the plane, while bottles of water and glasses flew all over the place, she said.

People were screaming and crying as the plane “plunged and shook”.

But as everyone began to say their goodbyes, the pilots abruptly began to climb again.

After this the aircraft - on a three-and-a-half hour flight from Ekaterinburg - made an emergency landing at Krasnodar.

The pivot in destination came about after Soschii was hit by a severe storm which forced the closure of the airport.

Yekaterina, an estate agent and mother of one, said the plane was on an approach to landing when the dramatic incident took place.

“The plane was shaken very strongly and suddenly it just started to fall,” she said. “We were about four seconds in free fall.”

The pilot reacted quickly, she said, and the plane abruptly began to climb back up into the air as passengers shook, screamed and prayed.

She recalled a pilot telling people not to panic and to fasten their seatbelts.

The passengers were not initially told that they had landed at the wrong airport because pilots could not continue their journey to Sochi.

But passengers stood and applauded the flight crew once the plane had come to a stop, while some request to meet the pilot and take a selfie - a request which was refused.

'Thank you for saving our lives,' posted Yekaterina.