Recent days, a Cathay Pacific flight CX380 from Hong Kong to Shanghai was forced to make an emergency return after experiencing a “cockpit depressurization” shortly after takeoff. Passengers onboard went through a terrifying moment as the plane rapidly descended 7,000 meters and encountered severe turbulence at high altitude, including well-known mainland Chinese musician Dong Yukun.
According to a report from the Southern Metropolis Daily, passenger Mr. Dong recalled the unusually violent shaking of the aircraft, waking up from a nap to find the plane’s altitude plummeting dramatically on the flight path display. Inside the cabin, some passengers and children were crying out of fear, worried that the plane might not land safely. Mr. Dong mentioned that despite the oxygen masks not dropping, the rapid descent caused intense physical discomfort, leading to a strong urge to vomit until the plane safely landed back at the airport.
Mainland Chinese musician Dong Yukun, known for works such as “I Think” and “So Cute Us,” shared his near-death experience on social media at 5:34 pm on the same day. The plane had descended abruptly from 10,000 meters to 3,000 meters, turning the destination from “Shanghai” to “Hong Kong-Hong Kong.”
On March 4th, Dong Yukun was reached for a comment, mentioning that soon after reaching halfway on the flight route, the plane began experiencing severe turbulence. Despite the oxygen masks not falling, the rapid descent caused him extreme discomfort and made him feel nauseous. After the safe landing and taxiing to a stop, passengers in the back row clapped in relief, grateful for their survival.
Another passenger of Cathay Pacific CX380 flight stated that there had been turbulence since takeoff, becoming more pronounced in the rear rows. They experienced intense ear pressure imbalance worsening progressively, coupled with the increasing turbulence even after finishing their meal aboard.
The data revealed that the flight descended rapidly by about 7,000 meters in a brief 10-minute span between 3:50 pm and 4:00 pm. Another passenger in the back rows described the severe ear pressure imbalance despite trying various methods to alleviate it, followed by intense vibrations.
It is worth noting that this was not the only setback Dong Yukun faced during this trip. He mentioned that originally planned for a direct flight from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Shanghai on February 28th, the flight got canceled last minute due to temporary airport closure, leaving them stranded. They had to travel through various locations before finally boarding the eventful CX380 flight.
According to flight information, the CX380 flight was scheduled to depart at 3:05 pm with an Airbus A330-343(X) aircraft aged 24.3 years.
On March 4th, Cathay Pacific responded to the incident, mentioning that the CX380 flight returned to Hong Kong due to “technical reasons” and landed safely following standard procedures. Another plane was promptly assigned to ensure passengers’ travel schedules, arriving at Shanghai Pudong Airport at 10:24 pm on March 3rd. The airline emphasized that all decisions prioritized safety and deeply apologized for the fright and inconvenience caused to the passengers by this incident.