Chinese passengers describe aircraft’s violent plunge before emergency landing

Japan Airlines flight JL8696 from Shanghai to Tokyo was forced to make an emergency landing at Kansai Airport on Monday evening after what passengers described as a sudden descent in the aircraft.

The aircraft was on a code-share service operated by budget carrier Spring Airlines Japan as IJ004 from Pudong to Narita when it diverted to the airport in Osaka for an emergency landing at around 8.50pm local time.

None of the 191 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 737-800 was injured. According to the Japanese government, the pilots contacted air traffic controllers when the aircraft triggered an alert about an irregularity in the pressurisation system that maintains cabin air pressure.

Passengers began posting on social media not long after landing, with one reporting that oxygen masks dropped as the plane plunged from a height of more than 10,000 metres (32,800 feet), describing it as a life-threatening experience.

“My body is still here, but my soul hasn’t caught up. My legs are still shaking. When you face life or death, everything else feels trivial,” the passenger wrote.

A comment added by a fellow passenger described the descent as abrupt and extreme. “The plane started plummeting violently at around 7pm and dropped to 3,000 metres in just 20 minutes.”

Others said on social media that passengers were kept on board the plane for more than an hour after landing, with Spring Airlines Japan agreeing to pay each person 15,000 yen (US$104) following complaints. However, they would have to contact the airline rather than receiving the compensation automatically, according to the posts.