United Airlines ceiling panel falls after landing at Dulles International Airport (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON - Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight were in for a shock after the plane's ceiling panel fell after a hard landing at Dulles International Airport, witnesses tell FOX 5.

A witness told FOX 5 her flight from Amsterdam to Washington on Wednesday was "very good" until they touched down at Dulles and the "top came off" and was "falling on people."

The witness said the plane was braking hard and the stewards were not able to come help immediately so passengers held onto the piece that fell until the plane slowed down.

United Airlines released the following statement to FOX 5:

"On a flight from Amsterdam to Dulles, an interior aircraft ceiling panel came loose upon landing, and made contact with a customer. Paramedics examined the customer to confirm there were no injuries. We've apologized to our customer for this experience, and our maintenance crew has repaired the panel."

The witness said she worries about what would've happened if the incident occurred in mid-flight instead of the landing.