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Boeing 737 flight drops nearly 26,000 feet in 10 minutes, makes emergency landing in Osaka
"All the oxygen masks popped open while I was sleeping."Chloe Loh
July 02, 2025, 04:28 PM
A Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo was forced to make an abrupt emergency landing at Kansai International Airport (KIX), Osaka, on Jun. 30.
Global Times reported that the flight, JL8696/IJ004, was a code-share flight operated by Japan Airlines (JAL) and their budget subsidiary Spring Airlines Japan.
The flight was making its way to Narita International Airport, Tokyo, from Shanghai Pudong International Airport when it had to make an emergency landing at KIX due to problems with the aircraft's pressurisation system.
JAL told Global Times that the Boeing 737-800 involved belonged to Spring Airlines.
There were a total of 191 passengers and crew onboard the flight. No injuries were reported.
Forced to make emergency descent
According to Global Times, mid-flight, the pilot was alerted to an irregularity in the pressurisation system responsible for maintaining air pressure in the cabin.
This prompted him to make an emergency descent to a safe altitude to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew, before making a precautionary landing at KIX.People reported that within 10 minutes, the aircraft descended from approximately 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet at about 6:53pm local time.
The moment when the passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video.
Passengers feared for their lives
According to People, one of the passengers said that "[he] heard a muffled boom, and the oxygen masks 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 recalled, "Suddenly, all the oxygen masks popped open while I was sleeping".Another passenger feared for his life and said that he was on "the verge of tears" as he wrote his will and jotted down the details of his insurance and bank card PIN numbers.
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), one of the passengers said that the drop felt sudden and extreme.
SCMP further added that after receiving complaints, Spring Airlines agreed to pay each passenger 15,000 yen (about S$133) as compensation.
However, in order to receive the compensation, the passengers would have to contact the airline directly. It would not be sent to them automatically.They also offered each passenger one night of accommodation.
The aircraft landed safely at KIX at around 8:50pm local time.
According to Global Times, JAL has said that a thorough investigation will be conducted to understand the root cause of the malfunction in the pressure system.
Global Times added that on Jul. 1, Spring Airlines declared on its official website that it would be cancelling multiple flights due to "operational capacity adjustments".
Those affected by the cancellations were given the option to rebook any available flight within the same route within 30 days from their original flight date, or they could opt for a full refund instead within the same 30-day period.Top photos via 樊汐/XHS and Weibo
