A Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo experienced a sudden loss of altitude, prompting an emergency landing in Osaka.
A Japan Airlines flight, JL8696, made an emergency landing at Kansai International Airport in Osaka after experiencing a sudden loss of altitude. The Boeing aircraft, carrying 191 passengers and crew, was en route from Shanghai to Tokyo when the incident occurred.
Technical glitch triggers emergency
At approximately 6:53 pm local time, the plane encountered a technical issue, prompting a rapid descent from 36,000 feet to 10,500 feet in under 10 minutes. The pilot declared an emergency with Air Traffic Control (ATC) as cabin pressure dropped, and oxygen masks deployed.
As the plane lost altitude, crew members "cried and shouted" at passengers to don oxygen masks. The chaotic scene was captured on video, showing passengers wearing masks as the flight struggled to stabilize.
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The flight was operated on a code-share basis by Spring Airlines Japan, meaning that one airline was operating it and the other sold tickets. Spring Airlines Japan is a join venture between Spring Airlines based in Shanghai and Japan Airlines.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism confirmed that a pressurization system alert was triggered during the descent, indicating a potential fault in the aircraft's cabin pressure system. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Ordeal
The ordeal left passengers shaken, with one reportedly writing their will and financial details during the emergency. Others described the terrifying experience, with one passenger stating, "My body is still here, but my soul hasn't caught up. My legs are still shaking.
“I heard a muffled boom, and the oxygen mask fell off in a few seconds. The stewardess cried and shouted to put on the oxygen mask, saying the plane had a malfunction,” another passenger said.
Another said, “Suddenly, all the oxygen masks popped open while I was sleeping.”
Japan Airlines provided passengers with compensation of 15,000 yen (approximately Rs 9,000) and overnight accommodation.
Recent aviation incidents
The incident follows a series of recent aviation incidents, including an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in multiple fatalities. Another Air India flight, also a Boeing Dreamliner, experienced a descent issue shortly after takeoff, but landed safely in Vienna.
