Japan Airlines Co. flight JL8696 made an emergency landing at Kansai Airport on Monday evening after a pressurization system failure forced the Boeing Co. BA 737-800 into a rapid descent from 32,800 feet.
What Happened: The aircraft, operated by Spring Airlines Japan on a code-share service from Shanghai to Tokyo, diverted to Osaka around 8:50 p.m. local time. All 191 passengers and crew survived without injuries, according to Japanese government officials, reported the South China Morning Post.
Pilots alerted air traffic controllers after the aircraft’s pressurization system triggered an irregularity alert. The system maintains cabin air pressure at safe levels during flight. Passengers reported oxygen masks deployed as the plane descended from above 10,000 meters to 3,000 meters within 20 minutes.
“The plane started plummeting violently at around 7pm,” one passenger said, according to the report, describing the descent as life-threatening.
Spring Airlines Japan, established in 2012 through joint investment between Shanghai-based Spring Airlines and JAL, offered passengers 15,000 yen ($104) compensation. Japan Airlines became the holding company in June 2021, retaining a 67% stake.
“My body is still here, but my soul hasn’t caught up. My legs are still shaking. When you face life or death, everything else feels trivial,” the passenger wrote, according to the report.
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Why It Matters: The incident adds to Boeing’s ongoing safety concerns. The 737 series has experienced numerous global incidents, including at least 12 fatal crashes since 2000. Recent disasters include the December 2024 Jeju Air crash in South Korea, killing 179 people and China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 in March 2022, which killed 132.
Boeing faces additional scrutiny following the June 12 Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people.
Indian authorities recovered the aircraft’s black box data last week, with investigators from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau collaborating with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to analyze flight data and cockpit voice recordings.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors
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