Passengers were filmed panicking as their plane shook violently during the Venezuela earthquakes.
Footage from inside the cabin shows them gripping the seats in front of them to steady themselves as the aircraft jolted from side to side.
Voices could be heard raised as two crew members in the aisle also clung on tightly in a desperate attempt to stay on their feet.
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At first glance, the clip appeared to show a bout of mid-air turbulence.
However, the person filming then turned their phone towards the window, revealing that the aircraft was still on the ground.
Outside, several workers could be seen running across the tarmac away from the terminal building and into open areas.
The alarming scenes were filmed at Caracas International Airport during the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on Wednesday (24 June).
The tremors reportedly struck as the aircraft was preparing for take-off.
Caracas International Airport was closed on Wednesday after the earthquakes caused extensive damage to its infrastructure, including collapsed ceilings.
More than 110 scheduled flights and 8,505 inbound seats were disrupted on Thursday (25 June), as reported by Need To Know.
The airport’s main runway has been temporarily closed until next Thursday (2 July), although the second runway remains formally open.
The airport is located in Maiquetía, in La Guaira state.
La Guaira and the Caracas area are among the worst affected by Wednesday’s twin quakes.
One social media user explained: “When the aircraft is on the ground, it rests on its three-axle landing gear, which in this case is likely to be a B-737 or an MD-80.
“The movement of the ground can be felt as a side-to-side rocking motion, depending on the aircraft’s suspension.”
Another added: “It could turn into a disaster if, at that exact moment, the aircraft is taking off from the runway.”
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