Airlines plunges 8 kms in less than 10 mins; passengers get $142 in compensation

A Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo made an emergency landing this week after plummeting almost 8 kilometres in less than 10 minutes. Once the plane was safely on the ground, passengers were given 15,000 yen (Cdn $142) in compensation, plus a free night’s accommodation, according to reports.

According to People magazine , Monday’s flight JL8696 was operated by Spring Japan, a low-cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines, and was scheduled to fly from Shanghai to Tokyo, a two and a half hour journey.

However, about an hour into the flight the plane descended rapidly from a cruising altitude of about 11,700 metres down to just 3,000 metres while reducing its speed from 880 kph to 560 kph. It then levelled out at the new altitude and, about 45 minutes later, made an emergency landing in Osaka, Japan.

None of the 191 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 737-800 was injured. Reports said the pilots contacted air traffic controllers when the aircraft triggered an alert about an irregularity in the pressurization system that maintains cabin air pressure.

Reports noted that oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling during the descent, and that passengers feared the plane might crash.

According to the Hong Kong news site The Standard , one passenger said she drafted a farewell note to her husband during the descent, while another described the cabin falling eerily silent as the masks dropped and she imagined she might perish. A third recalled being on “the verge of tears” as they scribbled a will and wrote down details of their insurance and bank card PINs.

The aircraft was diverted to Kansai International Airport in Osaka and landed at about 8:50 p.m. local time. It then spent about an hour on the tarmac before passengers were able to deplane.

Spring Japan subsequently posted a notice on its website , cancelling the Shanghai-to-Tokyo run and its return flight for the next two days, citing “aircraft scheduling.” It apologized for the inconvenience and offered full refunds within 30 days, or no-charge rebooking in the same time period.

The Associated Press reports that an investigation into the cause of the incident has begun as of Wednesday morning. National Post has reached out to Spring Japan for more information.

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