Terror on Boeing plane as flight is forced to make emergency landing after death plunge
The Boeing 737, had departed from Shanghai Pudong Airport in China and was on its way to Tokyo Narita Airport in Japan on Monday when it plunged.
Pilots onboard alerted air traffic controllers about an irregularity in their pressurization system that maintains cabin air pressure.
The aircraft then had to rapidly descend from 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet in ten minutes.
Horrified passengers shared footage captured aboard the flight after oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.
Pilots onboard triggered an alert to air traffic controllers about an irregularity in their pressurization system that maintains cabin air pressure
One told the Associated Press: '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 terrified passenger said they were on 'the verge of tears' as they wrote their will and jotted down insurance and bank card pin numbers.
The flight was eventually redirected to Kansai international Airport in Osaka, Japan, after declaring the emergency.
There was 191 passengers onboard the plane when it experienced the issue, there were no reported injuries onboard.
As compensation the airline offered 15,000 yen, or $104, and one night of accommodation for the issue.
The flight was eventually redirected to Kansai international Airport in Osaka, Japan, after declaring the emergency
An investigation has also been launched to identify what caused the incident on the plane.
It comes after an American Airlines flight was also forced to make an emergency landing after it caught fire mid flight over Las Vegas, Nevada.
The jet, destined for Charlotte, North Carolina, had just taken off from Las Vegas ' Harry Reid International Airport on Wednesday morning when fire started coming out of one of the engines.
Pilots onboard the plane, which was carrying 153 passengers and six crew, had to quickly divert course back to the airport after passengers spotted the flames.
Footage has since emerged on social media showing the jet with a trail of black smoke following it, fire can be seen spurting out of the side of the engine.
Shortly after, the aircraft was returned to the airport, where an inspection was carried out. Nobody onboard was injured, officials said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
National Grid's maintenance the damning failure identified by report into fire that sparked Heathrow chaos
The reliability of our grid is, it turns out, paper thin. A fire at the National Grid substation at North Hyde, which supplies Heathrow Airport, was caused by the "catastrophic failure" of a bushing in a high-voltage transformer at the site. A bushing is made of paper and foil, soaked in oil. The resulting fire, which knocked out the substation and in turn, power to more than 70,000 customers, including the west London airport, led to 1,300 flight cancellations affecting nearly 300,000 travellers. 0:51 The bushing on which the blame falls is the insulated wire that at North Hyde was one of three carrying a whopping 275kV of electricity into the transformer. In many transformers - especially older ones like this installed in 1968 - bushings are insulated by several layers of paper wrapped around alternating layers of metal foil, all soaked in a special insulating "bushing oil". But if air bubbles or moisture get into the absorbent paper, it loses its insulating power. As the report found, the most likely cause of the fire at North Hyde was "moisture entering the bushing causing a short circuit." That short circuit caused a spark that ignited the oil in the bushing, and in turn, the 150 litres of oil that insulates and cools the transformer, resulting in an inferno. 0:49 The result was a fire so catastrophic, it took out not just one transformer at the site but also its sister transformer next to it. Oil and paper insulators date back to the turn of the last century, and they work perfectly well if properly maintained. And it is National Grid's maintenance that is the damning failure identified by this report. The report finds that the highest "category 1" moisture reading was identified during inspection of the doomed bushing in 2018. According to National Grid's procedures, that reading should have resulted in its immediate replacement. Yet, for some reason, no action was taken. In fact, the report finds, routine maintenance of the failing transformer was deferred in 2022 - potentially another missed chance to rectify the fault. National Grid said in response to the report that it has already carried out an "end-to-end review" of its relevant inspection and maintenance processes. The review also found that no other maintenance red flags have been missed. It's nonetheless a serious failing and explains why Ofgem, the energy regulator, has now ordered an enforcement investigation into our largest grid operator. It raises questions, too, about the level of investment made by privatised network companies in maintaining or replacing ageing infrastructure. Recent analysis by Common Wealth found that all our electricity network operators have underspent their budgets for replacing grid hardware. This is money they are allowed by Ofgem to add to customers' bills as part of "network charges". Those charges are set to rise again in Ofgem's latest review. Other infrastructure companies, our water firms in particular, stand accused of "sweating" ageing assets to increase their profits. A key question for Ofgem's investigation into National Grid is whether money for maintenance and replacement was instead going toward their profits, at the expense of customers and ultimately the resilience of our electricity supply.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Japan Airlines flight makes violent plunge before emergency landing
A Boeing 737 plane flying from Shanghai to Tokyo made an emergency landing in Osaka after a sudden pressurisation failure forced it to drop nearly 26,000ft in 10 minutes on Monday. Flight JL8696/IJ004 – operated under a codeshare deal between Japan Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Spring Airlines Japan – departed from the Shanghai Pudong airport in China for the Tokyo Narita airport in Japan but made an emergency landing at the Kansai airport in Osaka at around 8.50pm local time. According to Japan's transport ministry, the aircraft's alarm system detected an abnormality in the mechanism responsible for maintaining cabin pressure. Suspecting cabin depressurisation, the pilot declared an emergency to air traffic control and diverted the Boeing 737-800 plane to Kansai, Kyodo News reported. 'On June 30, Flight JL8696 experienced a malfunction with the cabin pressurisation system, accompanied by an alert indicating an abnormal cabin altitude pressure level,' Japan Airlines said in a statement shared with The Independent. 'In accordance with emergency procedures, the flight descended to a safe altitude. It is important to clarify that rapid decompression did not occur. However, due to the potential for a decrease in cabin pressure, oxygen masks were deployed as a precautionary measure. The descent was conducted in accordance with standard safety protocols to ensure passenger and crew safety.' The exact cause of the incident was under investigation. There were 191 passengers and crew on board the aircraft. The plane reportedly rapidly descended from about 36,000 feet to just below 10,500 feet in under 10 minutes. 'As of now, there have been no reports of injuries or health concerns among passengers or crew,' the airline said in its statement. The airline has reportedly offered them compensation. The airline confirmed that flight JL8696/IJ004 is operated under a lease agreement with Spring Japan. While Japan Airlines is the transport operator, Spring Japan supplies the aircraft and the crew. News reports said panic spread among passengers as oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling, with many fearing the plane might crash due to the sudden change in cabin pressure. One passenger, identified only as Wang by Hong Kong's The Standard, said that her composure broke the moment she saw flight attendants on the verge of tears. She recalled the cabin falling into an 'eerie silence' as oxygen masks dropped down from the panels above. Japan Airlines said the Civil Aviation Bureau reviewed the incident and 'did not classify it as a 'serious' incident'. The plane was, however, grounded after it landed. 'We are fully cooperating with the Transport Safety Board and conducting an internal investigation to determine the root cause of the system malfunction,' the airline said. 'We are actively cooperating with authorities and will implement measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.' The incident again raised concerns about the safety of Boeing 737 aircraft, a model involved in multiple serious accidents over the years. Since 2000, various versions of the 737 jetliner have been linked to at least a dozen fatal crashes worldwide, including the China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 disaster in 2022 and the Jeju Air crash in South Korea last year.
Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Passengers write goodbye notes as oxygen masks deployed during plane's drop
A Japan Airlines flight suddenly dropped from 36,000 feet to 10,500 feet in 10 minutes on Monday, and passengers said they feared they might die during the terrifying ordeal Passengers on a Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo were gripped by fear on Monday when a mechanical fault in the Boeing 737 aircraft caused it to plummet nearly 26,000 feet. The plane, carrying 191 passengers and crew, dropped from roughly 36,000 feet to just below 10,500 feet within 10 minutes. Oxygen masks were released inside the cabin, sparking fears of a potential crash among those onboard. One individual was reportedly "on the verge of tears" as they hastily penned their will and financial details during the rapid descent. This frightening incident comes in the wake of a string of Boeing-related problems, including the widely reported Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad earlier in June. Japan Airlines flight JL8696 took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport in China, bound for Tokyo's Narita Airport, on Monday. At around 6:53 p, reports the Mirror US. m. local time, the aircraft began to descend at a distressing rate. An alert activated during the fall pointed to an issue with the plane's pressurisation system, according to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. "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," one passenger recounted, as per People. "Suddenly, all the oxygen masks popped open while I was sleeping," another passenger recounted. Fears of losing consciousness gripped some travellers as cabin pressure plummeted. The captain swiftly alerted air traffic control, issuing an emergency call, before rerouting the aircraft to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, touching down safely at 8:50 p. m. with all on board unscathed. In light of the scare, passengers were offered 15,000 yen ($93) for their troubles and a complimentary overnight stay. Authorities are currently dissecting the details of what went wrong. Another recent incident saw a Boeing 737 Dreamliner clip a parked aeroplane at Vietnam's Noi Bai International Airport, resulting in considerable damage. Boeing finds itself under scrutiny after a side exit door was dramatically lost from an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight last year.
