Boeing and its 737 Max are facing a new series of incidents. This time it was Korean Air flight KAL189, which was supposed to connect Seoul, South Korea to Taichung, Taiwan, when it was forced to turn back due to a cabin pressure problem. The situation resulted in a sudden loss of altitude, injuring several passengers on board.

A horrific incident in which 17 people were injured

On Saturday, June 22, a Korean Air flight suffered a major technical malfunction, resulting in a nearly 27,000-foot (about 8,200 meters above sea level) descent.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was flying at FL350 over Jeju Island when the incident occurred. According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, the plane suddenly lost altitude less than 15 minutes after leaving the Korean peninsula.

According to the airline and South Korea’s Ministry of Transport, the pilots voluntarily made the rapid descent after a pressurization system failure occurred 50 minutes after takeoff.

Such a big breakup can quickly turn into a tragedy. In fact, without pressure control, oxygen levels decrease, leading to loss of consciousness.

As a reminder, similar incidents have already had tragic consequences, such as Helios Airways Flight 522, where 121 people fainted before the plane crashed due to lack of fuel.

South Korea: Seventeen passengers injured in “stress incident” on Boeing flight
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17 people were injured on Korean Air flight KAL189

After making the U-turn without sustaining damage, the passengers were taken care of. The scene was particularly traumatic for many of the children who were frightened by the release of oxygen masks, according to local press.

According to the same sources, 17 passengers were injured during the incident. However, the Transport Ministry clarified. The 17 passengers were treated by medical professionals in Korea and released without serious injuries », the pain was mainly due to the sudden change in cabin pressure and hyperventilation. Despite this incident, the passengers were able to reach Taiwan on a chartered flight the following day without incident.

Similar incidents have already had tragic consequences, such as Helios Airways Flight 522, where 121 people died before the plane crashed due to lack of fuel.

A blow to Boeing

As a reminder, over the months, the American aircraft manufacturer’s Boeing 737 has experienced significant incidents. Notably, the door was lost during an Alaska Airlines flight last January. Fortunately, we also noted another incident of this type where no injuries were reported. It concerns a Korean Air flight that made contact with a Cathay Pacific Airways flight at New Chitose Airport on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.