On June 30th, the 8696 flight (Boeing 738 aircraft) from Shanghai to Tokyo encountered a mechanical failure during the flight and suddenly descended by 7,000 meters from an altitude of ten thousand meters. It then made an emergency landing at Kansai Airport in Osaka, Japan. According to the Osaka Civil Aviation Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, all 191 passengers and crew on board were uninjured and did not experience any physical discomfort.
The incident was widely reported by multiple media outlets in mainland China. The Spring Airlines flight 8696 took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport at 17:49 on June 30th and was scheduled to arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport at 21:47. Passengers described a harrowing experience as oxygen masks deployed and the aircraft rapidly descended before safely landing in Osaka at 19:50. One passenger recounted feeling shaky even though physically unharmed.
Reports from netizens mentioned that around 19:00, the plane began a rapid descent, dropping about 3,000 meters within approximately 10 minutes, giving passengers a sensation similar to freefall.
Later that evening at 21:00, Spring Airlines customer service staff confirmed that the flight had to make an emergency landing due to a sudden malfunction. The specific details of the incident, including the cause of the mechanical failure on the Boeing 737 aircraft, were pending further investigation and release.
According to a report by “Xiaoxiang Morning Post,” the flight took off from Shanghai Pudong at 17:49 as scheduled and descended rapidly within a short span of time, triggering alarms indicating a pressurization system failure. The pilot declared an emergency to air traffic control due to suspected depressurization in the cabin and changed the destination to Kansai Airport.
Spring Airlines Japan Joint Venture was established in 2012 by Spring Airlines and Japan Airlines, with Japan Airlines becoming the majority shareholder in June 2021, holding 33% of the shares.
Following the incident, several Spring Airlines flights were canceled. The airline’s website showed that multiple flights in Japan on July 1st were canceled due to operational adjustments.
Regarding flight rebooking and refunds, passengers were allowed to reschedule for free within 30 days of the canceled flight or request a full refund. Only one change or refund could be processed per passenger.
In recent months, incidents involving Boeing aircraft in China have gained attention. On June 25, a passenger aboard a Juneyao Airlines flight experienced severe turbulence, with items flying around the cabin at high altitude.
On June 27, a passenger named Mr. Dai recounted his experience on a Juneyao Airlines flight from Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen Bao’an, where the aircraft encountered strong air turbulence, causing a brief period of weightlessness and chaos in the cabin with items floating in the air.
Overall, these incidents highlight the challenges and unexpected circumstances that can occur during air travel, emphasizing the importance of safety measures and efficient emergency response protocols within the aviation industry.