Japan Airlines flight drops 26,000 feet mid-air; lands safely

A Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo turned into a nightmare for passengers when the aircraft suddenly dropped nearly 26,000 feet mid-air, triggering a terrifying emergency, AP reported.

The terrifying mid-air emergency occurred on June 30 when the flight, was operating under a codeshare between Japan Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Spring Japan (Flight JL8696/IJ004).

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Mid-air emergency

The Spring Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo had taken off from Shanghai Pudong Airport and was en route to Narita Airport when the terrifying drop occurred, prompting swift action from the crew.

There were 191 passengers and crew members onboard when the Boeing 737 suffered a sudden mechanical failure, plunging from 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet within 10 minutes, AP reported.

The flight suffered a sudden drop in cabin pressure, forcing the plane to descend rapidly from 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet in ten minutes.

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Passengers panic

The videos that went viral on social media showed almost all passengers wearing oxygen masks.

Footage captured during the incident showed panicked passengers clutching oxygen masks as a flight attendant made urgent announcements. Fortunately, the plane stabilized after the emergency descent and landed safely.

Passengers feared the plane was going to crash. Some who were asleep were jolted awake, while others began writing down their wills and sending messages to loved ones with personal details such as bank PINs and insurance information.

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Investigation underway

The AP report also stated that a pressurisation system alert was activated during the descent, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency and divert the flight to Kansai International Airport in Osaka.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism later confirmed that an alert regarding a pressurisation system failure had been triggered mid-flight.

All 191 passengers and crew escaped injury and the airline provided passengers with hotel accommodation for the night and 15,000 yen (approximately Rs 8,945) each in transportation compensation.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the mid-air depressurization, and Japan Airlines has issued an apology while promising a thorough review of the mechanical failure.