British Airways apologized to passengers after an emergency message warning they were about to crash into the sea was played by mistake.

About 275 passengers were on the London Heathrow to Hong Kong flight on Tuesday evening when the automated message went out. The plane was flying over the North Sea at the time. Cabin crew quickly realized the error and moved to reassure the terrified passengers.

“We all thought we were going to die,” Michelle Lord, 32, of Preston, northern England, told The Sun newspaper.