Korean Air Flight Descends 25,000 Feet For 15 Minutes; Passengers Suffer Nosebleeds & Ear Pain
Sudden depressurization forced a Korean Air flight to Taiwan to return to Incheon Airport, which caused the 25,000-foot drop mid-flight. This incident caused nosebleeds and ear pain and sent 19 passengers to the hospital, but none of their wounds were serious.
Afraid passengers were made to use oxygen masks as the flight took a 25,000-foot drop | X
Due to an unforeseen depressurization, Korean Air flight KE189, which was scheduled to depart Seoul's Incheon International Airport (ICN) at approximately 16:45 local time on June 22, 2024, and travel to Taichung International Airport (RMQ) in Taiwan, was forced to return to Incheon Airport. The incident involved a Boeing 737 Max 8, according to a statement released by the South Korean transport ministry on June 25. Out of the 133 passengers on the outbound flight, 19 were hospitalized for ear pain and nosebleeds. However, there were no serious injuries.
All About The Incident
About fifty minutes into the flight, the pressurization system of the aircraft failed. According to Yahoo News reports, the ministry and the airline are investigating the root of the issue. The ministry has directed all 11 South Korean airlines to examine the pressurization systems of their 400 aircraft, and the aircraft are still grounded as a precaution.
What Happened In The Flight?
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft began to drop rapidly about 50 minutes into the flight and fell roughly 26,900 feet in about 15 minutes. FL360aero claims that during the aircraft's flight over Jeju Island, the message "pressure system (pressure control function of the aircraft) abnormality" was displayed. This is standard operating procedure to lower the risk of high-altitude pressurization issues. Social media videos showed the oxygen masks being deployed and the aircraft shaking.
What Does Depressurization Mean?
When a jet passenger aircraft loses pressurization while cruising at its typical altitude, it can result in a grave emergency. Loss of cabin pressure, or depressurization, is normally classified as explosive, rapid, or gradual based on the time interval over which cabin pressure is lost.
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The temperature will drop rapidly. When the pressure inside the cabin releases, there will also be a tremendous wind blast. Anything that is not fastened firmly enough will fly out. Thus, there will be a great deal of confusion within the plane.
Medical Assessments And Precautionary Steps
Fifteen people experienced eardrum discomfort and hyperventilation during the rapid descent. Seventeen people were released from hospitals after receiving medical examinations and no major injuries. As per the reports of Yahoo News, apologizing for any inconvenience, Korean Air emphasized their dedication to the safety of both passengers and crew.
Previous Incidents
Malaysia Airlines reported that an Airbus A-330 encountered a "pressurization issue" on Monday, forcing the aircraft to make a U-turn and return to Kuala Lumpur. The flight was headed to Bangkok.
According to Malaysia Airlines, the pilots started an emergency descent even though the aircraft was not yet 8,000 feet in the air and no oxygen masks had been put on. Twelve crew members and 164 passengers were on board Flight MH780.
Regarding both incidents, an investigation was in progress.
The Boeing 737 Max's Troubled History
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulatory bodies grounded Max jets globally for over a year and a half following their deadly crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia, which claimed 346 lives.
A panel on a 737 Max aircraft blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, raising fresh concerns about the company's best-selling commercial aircraft. No one was seriously injured in the incident.
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