This flight suddenly dropped 26,000 feet, injuring 17 passengers in latest Boeing incident
A Korean Air flight on Saturday experienced a sudden depressurization that left multiple passengers with ear pain and hyperventilation, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.
Flight KE189 departed Incheon Airport as scheduled and was about 50 minutes into its journey to Taichung International Airport in Taiwan when it plunged about 26,246 feet and turned around to return to Incheon, according to FlightRadar24.
The incident happened in a timespan of about 10 minutes, Taipei Times reported. A spokesperson for Korean Air said oxygen masks were deployed.
Taipei Times reported the cause of the incident to be a fault in the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s pressurization system, but Korean Air did not confirm that detail with USA TODAY. The pressurization system on modern airplanes is typically automatic and begins as soon as takeoff occurs, pumping in conditioned air for passengers to breathe safely in the cabin when at high altitudes.
Once the plane landed in Korea, 17 passengers were attended to by medics, and all were discharged without severe injuries, Korean Air told USA TODAY in an email statement. The airline provided passengers with accommodations for the night, meals and transportation arrangements.
Is it safe to fly Boeing? Boeing is working to fix safety in its factories.
“We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” a Korean Air spokesperson said.
“Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged. We apologize to all affected by this incident.”
The Korean Airlines incident comes in the wake of another Boeing 737 Max 8 (flying for Southwest Airlines) experiencing a Dutch roll when flying from Phoenix to Oakland. No injuries were reported in that incident.
Boeing has faced increased scrutiny this year following the high-profile Alaska Airlines incident, leading to an investigation and more oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Korean Air plane suddenly drops 26,000 feet, injuring 17 passengers
