Video: Terrifying moment as plane plunges 30,000 feet in minutes

'A lot of people were kind of hyperventilating'

It was a harrowing flight for passengers aboard a Delta flight when the plane plunged 30,000 feet in minutes. The incident took place this week aboard a plane flying from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, following which the flight was diverted to Tampa.   
"Air masks, the oxygen masks dropped from the top of the plane. Chaos sort of ensued amongst the passengers," a passenger, Harris Dewoskin, told CNN affiliate WSB.
Speaking about the incident, the airline said in a statement that the flight experienced a "cabin pressurization irregularity" but landed safely in Tampa.

Quick video taken by a passenger aboard @Delta flight 2353. It was heading to Ft. Lauderdale from Atlanta. They had to make an emergency landing at @FlyTPA. At 5:45 on @abcactionnews I'll have the details on the scary situation. pic.twitter.com/zhmn0767pV
- Jasmine Styles (@JasmineStylesTV) September 19, 2019

@Delta Flight 2353 God Bless the Captain and crew. Had an emergency midair from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale. Oxygen masks deployed and we descended quickly and we're diverted to Tampa. I texted my wife and dad I loved them. Told my mom I love her and hugged my son. @wsvn @cbs12 pic.twitter.com/C9QcU9DbYV
- J.T. (@BrutusOsceola) September 18, 2019

Narrating the terrifying moments, Dewoskin said, "Obviously it's a hectic moment so the passengers around me, a lot of people were kind of hyperventilating, breathing really hard."
He added a flight attendant repeatedly told passengers over the intercom not to panic. "There was a scary 60 to 90 seconds where we didn't really know what was going on. At 15,000 feet in the air, it's a scary moment for sure," Dewoskin said.