On September 9, China Southern Airlines issued a statement regarding flight CZ3791 (Zhuhai-Taiyuan) on September 8. Due to thunderstorm weather affecting Taiyuan Airport, the flight crew executed a precautionary diversion to Shijiazhuang Airport for safety reasons. The airline actively provided service support, and after weather conditions improved, the flight departed again, safely arriving in Taiyuan in the early hours of the following day. The airline expressed gratitude for passengers' understanding and support.
The diversion was caused by a blue thunderstorm warning issued by Taiyuan Meteorological Observatory at 20:38 that day, forecasting gusts exceeding level 7, accompanied by strong lightning and brief heavy rainfall.
Passenger Ms. Wang recounted the harrowing experience: "The aircraft experienced severe turbulence due to air currents, with some passengers screaming. After successfully diverting to Shijiazhuang, many people were crying."
According to Ms. Wang, the flight proceeded smoothly after takeoff from Zhuhai, with in-flight announcements indicating the aircraft would land in Taiyuan at 21:20. However, the plane did not begin its descent as expected. Flight attendants later announced that Taiyuan Airport lacked suitable landing conditions and required diversion to Shijiazhuang.
Ms. Wang described the segment from Taiyuan to Shijiazhuang as the most turbulent, with lightning visible from inside the aircraft. "Many passengers were screaming at that moment. I gripped the armrest tightly, afraid to move, with my eyes closed and my heart in my throat. I was terrified but didn't dare speak. After the screaming subsided, the cabin became very quiet, and you could feel everyone was extremely tense." Ms. Wang noted that after the successful emergency landing, some passengers were crying, and others chose to discontinue their journey.