Another mid-air scare involving Boeing: Plane drops 26,000 feet, terrified passengers write wills | Watch Video
PTC Web Desk: Passengers on a Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai, China to Tokyo, Japan faced a terrifying situation when their plane suddenly dropped nearly 26,000 feet mid-air. The incident happened on June 30 after the flight took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport, heading for Narita Airport in Tokyo.
The flight, operated by Spring Japan — the budget airline of Japan Airlines — was carrying 191 passengers. It was under a codeshare agreement with Japan Airlines.
A #JapanAirlines #flight from #Shanghai to #Tokyo made an emergency landing at Kansai Airport last night after a cabin depressurization alert. The #Boeing 737-800, carrying 191 people, landed safely. No injuries reported. #China #Japan pic.twitter.com/wCneZ3nkk0 — Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) July 1, 2025
According to reports, the Boeing 737 plane developed a mechanical issue during the flight. Within just 10 minutes, the aircraft rapidly descended from 36,000 feet to around 10,500 feet. This sudden drop caused the oxygen masks to automatically deploy, and many passengers feared the plane was going to crash.
One passenger was reported as saying by the Associated Press, “I heard a muffled boom, and the oxygen mask fell off in a few seconds. A flight attendant screamed for everyone to put on their oxygen masks, saying there was a malfunction.”
Some people were asleep when the drop occurred, while others began writing their wills and sending important information — like insurance details and bank PINs — to their families.
Videos from inside the plane showed scared passengers wearing oxygen masks while a flight attendant made announcements. Due to the issue, the pilot declared an emergency and diverted the flight to Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The plane landed safely at 8.50 pm local time, and fortunately, no one was injured.
Each passenger was given 15,000 yen (around $93) for transportation and a one-night hotel stay. Authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the pressure issue in the plane.
This is the latest in a series of safety concerns involving Boeing aircraft. Just last month, over 270 persons died in a tragic crash of a Boeing flight from Ahmedabad to London. Since then, several other Boeing planes have faced serious in-flight issues, raising global concerns about their safety.
- With inputs from agencies
