A Korean Air flight KE189 bound for Taichung, Taiwan, was forced to return to Incheon International Airport on Saturday due to a critical malfunction, causing a rapid descent of 26,900 feet in just 15 minutes and resulting in the hospitalisation of 17 passengers.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 encountered a severe issue with its pressurisation system nearly 50 minutes into the flight, triggering alarms and initiating the rapid descent. According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft dropped from over 30,000 feet to about 9,000 feet within a short span, causing significant distress among the 125 passengers onboard.
Passengers experienced symptoms such as hyperventilation and ear pain, with at least two individuals suffering from nosebleeds. Consequently, upon landing, 17 passengers required medical attention. Korean Air reported that these passengers were treated and subsequently discharged without severe injuries. "17 passengers have been attended to by medical professionals in Korea, and have been discharged without severe injuries," the airline stated.
The flight had departed around 4:45 PM local time on June 22 but returned to Incheon Airport three hours later, landing at 7:38 PM. Despite the dramatic descent and the panic it induced, no major injuries were reported. The flight was resumed the following morning with a different aircraft after thorough inspections.
Eyewitness accounts from passengers described a scene of chaos and fear. Oxygen masks were deployed, children were crying, and many feared for their lives. One passenger, identified as Tseng by The Taipei Times, expressed a profound sense of fear, worrying that the plane might crash: "I feared the plane might hit the ground."
Another passenger likened the rapid altitude change to an extreme rollercoaster. "One passenger likened the sudden altitude change to the G-Force of an extreme rollercoaster," according to a report by New York Post.
Instagram user @nancy10in shared a video from the flight, capturing the harrowing moments. She wrote, “Emotions are too complicated…Just want to say it's good to be alive now… Just a few minutes down from over 30,000 feet to over 9,000 feet. Can you imagine how scary this is all? Especially the first most sensational body drop. More terrifying than the centrifugal force of a roller coaster. Really good to be alive… Hard work crew and all the passengers on the same flight together. Everyone is really working hard.”
Korean Air has stated they are fully cooperating with authorities to investigate the malfunction. "We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the airline said. “Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged. We apologise to all affected by this incident."
