Horror in the Air. 'I really felt I might die': Terrified passengers tell how they were thro

• Houston to Heathrow flight was forced to land at Shannon Airport

• 23 hurt and 12 people including three children taken to Limerick hospital

• Victims on board suffered lacerations, bruising and minor head injuries

• Texan cheerleader Nikki Hartin Boriack, 38, said passengers went flying

• Passenger Leslie Chi told friends on Facebook: 'I really thought I might die'

• Were you on the flight? Send your experiences, pictures and video to: martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk

Terrified passengers on a UK-bound transatlantic flight have described how they thought they would die as the plane suddenly 'dropped' up to 4,000ft.

The United Airlines Boeing 767-300 flying from Houston to Heathrow was diverted to Shannon Airport after 23 people were hurt by severe turbulence 300 miles south-west of Ireland.

The plane landed in Ireland at 4.55am and 12 people including three children and two crew were taken to University Hospital in Limerick. More were treated in the airport terminal.

Texan cheerleading coach Nikki Hartin Boriack, 38, said the plane plunged twice and passengers including children were sent 'flying' through the cabin followed by a bang some thought was the engine 'blowing up'.

She said: 'Out of the blue the plane just dropped and everybody who was unbuckled went flying. Everybody hit their heads on the roof, the girl next to me was thrown from her seat.

Drama: Texan Nikki Hartin Boriack, 38, said the plane plunged twice and passengers including children were sent 'flying' - Nottingham student Leslie Chi (pictured) said she 'really thought I might die'.

The Mariana DAngelo Editorial Group..