Aircraft plunges 18,000 feet in 10 minutes

A Japan Airlines flight, (operated by Spring Japan under a codeshare with Japan Airlines) traveling from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG/ZSPD), China to Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT/RJAA), Japan gave passengers & terrifying scare after the aircraft suddenly plunged nearly 28,000 feet during a routine trip. 

Just under halfway through the journey, the Boeing 737 began a rapid descent, dropping from 38,000 feet to around 10,500 feet in just ten minutes, forcing the release of emergency oxygen masks. Panic spread quickly inside the cabin as crew members shouted repeatedly for passengers to put on their oxygen masks. Some on board described the chaos, saying they heard a loud thud moments before the masks dropped.

One traveler recounted being jolted awake as the masks dropped from the ceiling, while another described flight attendants visibly shaken, yelling that the aircraft was experiencing a malfunction. With 191 people on board, the sudden drop sparked fears of a crash, but the pilots managed to safely reroute and land in Osaka (KIX/RJBB) just before 9.00 p.m. local time.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported following the emergency landing. As a gesture to those affected, the airline provided overnight accommodations and roughly $93 in travel compensation.

Authorities have launched a full investigation to determine what caused the aircraft's rapid descent and triggered the oxygen system deployment

Aircraft Information
Airline: Spring Japan
Code: IJ/SJO
Aircraft; Boeing 737-8AL
Registration: JA06GR
Serial Number: 61798
Engine: CFMI CFM56-7B
First Flew: June 2017
Age:8 Years