13 hospitalised after Korean Air Boeing 737 suffers uncontrolled depressurisation

A Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Korean Air suffered an uncontrolled depressurisation, about 50 minutes after it took off. The aircraft descended more than 25,000 feet, presumably due to the pilot making an emergency descent.

By: Haotian

Published on: 24 June 2024, 1.47pm

The aircraft involved was a 4 year old Boeing 737 Max 8. Photo: Parkdolly/Shutterstock

On 22 June 2024, a Korean Air (KAL/KE) flight from Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN/RKSI) to Taichung International Airport (RMQ/RCMQ) diverted back to Incheon Airport after about 50 minutes of flight time.

The flight, KE189, operated by a Boeing 737 Max 8 registered HL8352, took off from Incheon Airport at about 5.10pm (GMT +9) with 125 passengers on board.

While the plane was cruising above Jeju Island at 35,000 feet, the aircraft encountered an uncontrolled depressurisation, and according to Flightradar24, the aircraft descended rapidly from an altitude of 35,000 feet to 10,000 feet in only about 7 minutes. This was presumably due to the pilots making an emergency descent in order to prevent further complications.

The aircraft lost close to 25,000 feet of altitude, before levelling off at about 10,000 feet. Photo: Flightradar24

After the plane seemed to level off at 10,000 feet, the aircraft started a controlled descent to about 9000 feet, which was the altitude the aircraft was at for the rest of the flight back to Incheon.

According to videos posted on social media, oxygen masks were deployed as soon as the depressurisation occurred.

Oxygen masks were deployed due to the loss of cabin pressure. Photo: Garygaryocp/Tiktok

As a result of this incident, 15 passengers suffered eardrum pain and hyperventilation, and among the 15 passengers, 13 of them were sent to the hospital. Fortunately, no severe injuries were reported.

Korean Air arranged for a different flight for the affected passengers the next day and also arranged accommodations for the passengers affected. The ferry flight took off the next day at 10.30am local time and arrived safely in Taichung in the afternoon.