Srinagar, July 3: Panic ensued on a Japan Airlines Boeing Dreamliner 737 on Monday when the plane suddenly plummeted nearly 26,000 feet. The scary episode apparently led passengers to write goodbye letters to loved ones and details of their finances, fearing they would not survive. People on the plane recalled that there was a boom, and after that, oxygen masks fell off within a few seconds. The flight attendants started shouting, asking everyone to put on their oxygen masks. The incident comes after 241 people died in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which also involved a Boeing Dreamliner 787.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the aircraft encountered a sudden mechanical failure mid-flight, prompting a rapid descent from around 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet in less than 10 minutes. The incident occurred at approximately 6:53 PM local time.
Boeing planes have come under intense scrutiny since the Ahmedabad plane crash of last month.
The abrupt loss in cabin pressure triggered the release of oxygen masks, heightening panic among passengers who feared the plane might crash. Some worried the drop in pressure could cause passengers to lose consciousness.
“I heard a muffled boom, and within seconds the oxygen masks dropped down. One of the flight attendants was crying and shouting for us to put on the masks, saying the plane had suffered a malfunction,” a passenger said as per reports.
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued a statement regarding the mid-air incident, stating that passengers were asleep when the aircraft experienced a sudden drop, jolting them awake. The plane’s pressurisation system triggered an emergency alert, causing oxygen masks to deploy automatically. Panic broke out on board as some passengers reported difficulty breathing, and the cabin crew grew concerned that individuals might lose consciousness.
