A PASSENGER on a flight that circled Dorset for over an hour has described what happened on board.

Poole resident Steve Wyatt was on board a flight that was diverted to Gatwick Airport after a suspected bird strike.

The TUI flight to Rhodes took off from Bournemouth Airport at 3.04pm and has since landed at Gatwick Airport, after circling Dorset for over an hour.

READ MORE: TUI flight diverts after suspected bird strike

After landing at Gatwick, Steve said: “It was a bit scary to start off with, when I realised, I said to the guy next to me ‘we keep going round in circles’.

“We went around in circles around nine times and then the pilot came on and said that we’d hit a bird taking off from Bournemouth and he was just waiting on instructions.

“We’d been in the air for about an hour and 40 minutes and then diverted to Gatwick and there are fire engines, I think the plane’s being checked over but everyone’s safe.

“The pilot came on and said there was nothing to worry about so it was relatively calm on board the flight and I think everyone’s just hoping that the plane can be sorted.”

“It’s going to be checked and they are positive that we are going on our holiday to Rhodes.”

A number of concerned residents contacted the Daily Echo after watching the flight circle parts of Dorset for almost an hour, this afternoon.

Witness Paul Williams said "very loud and unusual noises were heard as the plane tried to climb over Merley.”

A spokesperson for TUI said: "We can confirm flight TOM6624 unfortunately reported a bird strike shortly after take off from Bournemouth on the 10th September.

"The aircraft therefore had to divert to Gatwick Airport for an engineering inspection and subsequent repairs. 

"Customers were updated throughout and provided with refreshments and given a new departure time of 22:10 as they had to wait for a replacement aircraft.

"Customers arrived in Rhodes safely in the early hours of the 11th September."