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| KOREAN AIR AIRBUS A380-861 HL-7622 (MSN 128) |
A severe fault on a Korean Air flight necessitated a diversion last Saturday when it descended 26,900 feet within 15 minutes, (1,800 feet per minute) leading to the hospitalisation of seventeen passengers. The passengers of Korean Air flight KE189, travelling from Seoul (ICN/RKSI) to Taichung (RMQ/RCMQ), reached Taichung, Taiwan safely after being rerouted to Incheon International Airport the day before.
About 50 minutes after departure on Saturday, alarms were triggered inside the Boeing 737 Max 8 due to a pressurization system fault. This is according to data from the online flight tracker Flightradar24, which showed the aircraft's rapid descent of 26,900 feet in just 15 minutes.
Passengers experienced hyperventilation and ear pain, necessitating hospitalisation. Korean Air stated to the media, "Seventeen passengers have been attended to by medical professionals in Korea and have been discharged without severe injuries."
The aircraft, carrying 125 passengers, was initially scheduled to depart for Taiwan at approximately 4:45 pm local time on the 22nd of June. Following the emergency, the flight returned to Incheon Airport three hours post-departure. No major injuries were reported despite the alarming incident. The service resumed the following morning with an alternate aircraft after Korean Air conducted an investigation.
Onboard, passengers experienced panic and distress, with oxygen masks released and children crying amidst the rapid descent. A passenger recounted that children were crying as oxygen masks dropped during the plummet.
He expressed his fear that the airplane might crash.
A Korean Air spokesperson reported that the airline is thoroughly investigating the pressurization system failure to identify the cause and ensure all maintenance issues are resolved before the aircraft returns to service.
Aircraft Information:
Airline: Korean Air
Code: KE/KAL
Aircraft: Boeing 737 Max 8
Registration: HL8352
Serial Number: 63440
Engines: CFMI CFM56-5A1
First Flew: 6th November 2019
Age: 4.8 Years
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