An air hostess broke her leg in seven places after the plane flew into a hail storm causing severe turbulence.
Eden Garrity, 27, was pushing a catering trolley on a Thomas Cook flight when the aircraft encountered a mid-Atlantic storm.
The bad weather sent the plane shooting up 500ft, with the force pinning Eden to the ground and shattering her right leg.
Eden lay on the floor for an hour while seats around her were cleared for her to lie down. But she was forced to wait a gruelling seven hours before going to hospital when the plane travelling from Cuba to Manchester landed.
She broke her fibula in five places, her tibia once, fractured the side of her foot and cracked her ankle bone.
Eden, from Manchester, said: “It was absolutely terrifying.
“My feet were locked to the ground and my ankle just completely snapped.
“I didn’t realise what had happened until I tried to take a step and I collapsed.
“My ankle was at a right angle and I just started screaming. The bottom of my foot was facing to the side.
“My body went into shock and I just started panicking.
"The pilot said to me afterwards that it turned black all around him."
Eden said an unbearable pain started half way through the journey when her leg was put in a splint.
During the long-stretch home she was also given painkillers and other passengers helped to look after her, giving pillows and coats to make her comfortable.
Eden begun working for Thomas Cook in April 2017 and the incident happened just a month before the company's collapse in September 2019.
She was paid her salary in full by the company but now has the stress of looking for work while she is recovering.
The dedicated air hostess underwent two operations before she was allowed to leave hospital in August and may require a third operation next year to remove the metal screws in her leg because of the pain.
An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report confirmed the aircraft encountered severe turbulence resulting in an "autopilot disconnection".
Adding that "it was accompanied by the sound of hail striking the aircraft's nose".
It also found the pilot made an announcement asking crew members to be seated five seconds after hitting the storm.
A spokesperson for the company handling Thomas Cook's insolvency said: “Former employees who may have had insurance-related claims against Thomas Cook prior to liquidation will now be treated as unsecured creditors.
"To make a claim against the company in liquidation or against the insurance policy, former employees should contact the Special Managers.”