More than a dozen passengers on board a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane are recovering after the aircraft unexpectedly dropped 25,000 feet due to an onboard error.
Korean Airlines Flight KE189 made an emergency landing in Incheon, South Korea on Saturday, June 22. The aircraft had originally departed from Incheon and was scheduled to arrive at Taichung International Airport in Taiwan within two hours.
However, less than an hour into the flight, the Boeing plane struggled with a fault in the cabin pressurization system. It dropped from an altitude of 35,000 feet to under 10,000 feet within ten minutes.
During the ordeal, passengers were forced to wear oxygen masks and there was panic over the rapid descent. Other reports revealed that the rapid change in the cabin pressure caused passengers to suffer from headaches, hyperventilation, eardrum pain, and nosebleeds
After returning to Incheon International Airport, 13 passengers were taken to hospital as a result of the incident. No serious injuries were reported.
All other passengers were forced to wait until Sunday, June 23, for a replacement right. They arrived in Taiwan in the afternoon.
Boeing has been under scrutiny over the past six months as multiple planes have experienced malfunctions and other safety issues.
Among the incidents include a panel falling off an Alaska Airlines 747 Max 9, the tire of a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 falling off, and 50 passengers becoming injured during extreme turbulence while onboard a 787-9 Dreamliner.
Boeing has not released a statement about the incident.
U.S. Justice Department is Being Urged to File Criminal Charges Against Boeing Over 737 Max Incidents
Meanwhile, CNN reports that the U.S. Justice Department is being urged to file criminal charges against Boeing for safety issues surrounding its 737 Max planes.
The media outlet revealed the potential charges are the latest as Boeing is investigated for the two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The U.S. Justice Department and Boeing previously reached an agreement in January of 2021. This was to settle charges that alleged the company defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during the certification process of the 737 Max before it could carry its first passengers.
The 737 Max started service in 2017. One year later, the first fatal crash occurred. The second one happened less than six months after the first. The accidents led to a 20-month grounding of the aircraft. Boeing later admitted that the cause of the crashes was reportedly a design flaw.