One passenger, Andrew from London, spoke with BBC Radio 5 Live about what happened amid the turbulence.
Andrew said: "During the few seconds of the plane dropping there was awful screaming, it sounded like a thud and I guess it was belongings and bags hitting the roof."
He said prior to the turbulence the flight had been "smooth" with "no issues"
"The seatbelt sign came on, and as soon as I saw it I put my seatbelt on and at that very moment the plane just suddenly dropped," he said.
"The thing I remember the most was just the objects and things flying through the air, and I was covered in coffee.
"After it finished, I can't say how long it lasted for but I would guess two or three seconds... it was only when I looked behind me I realised the severity of it.
"There was a poor elderly lady with an awful gash on her head covered in blood.
"During the few seconds of the plane dropping there was awful screaming, it sounded like a thud and I guess it was belongings and bags hitting the roof."
However, he said he would be getting on another flight in several hours time to complete his journey.
"I will get on another flight... It is a very, very rare occurrence," he said.