The first time her flight tried to land at a windswept San Francisco International Airport during the atmospheric river on Feb. 4, passenger Crystal Ross told SFGATE that she felt her body leave the seat.

But when the Cathay Pacific pilot tried for a second time to land at SFO, Ross said the dramatic drop in the sky sent half the people around her reaching for barf bags. “The plane was rocked so hard each time that half the plane was getting sick,” she said.

Following a third failed attempt to land, Cathay Pacific flight CX870, which originated from Hong Kong, diverted to Oakland International Airport to wait out the storm. Instead of being allowed to disembark, though, the passengers were kept sitting on the tarmac for hours before taking off again for another attempt to land at SFO.

“No one made any effort to ensure our comfort during all of this. The plane bathroom ran out of toilet paper and the trash was overflowing with puke bags. It was an awful experience,” she told SFGATE.