13 hospitalized after Korean Air flight drops 26,900 feet mid-flight
A Korean Air flight heading to Taiwan was diverted to Incheon Airport after it dropped 26,900 feet in 15 minutes due to a fault in the pressurization system.
Detailing the incident, Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the flight KE189, which was carrying 125 passengers, departed on June 22 at 4:45 pm local time en route to Taichung, Taiwan.
50 minutes into the flight, a warning appeared regarding a fault in the pressurization system of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft—an integral part of the craft as it regulates the pressure level inside the aircraft.
According to the data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft fell about 26,900ft in about 15 minutes. The aircraft was able to return to Incheon Airport at around 7:40 p.m.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, 15 passengers reported that they suffered from hyperventilation or pain in their eardrums, while 13 were hospitalized after landing. Despite this, no major injuries were reported.
The flight was rescheduled the next day, Sunday morning, June 23 local time with a different aircraft, where the passengers were able to arrive safely.
A Korean Air spokesperson expressed apologies to the affected passengers for the inconvenience, adding that they would provide accommodations to make up for the unfortunate incident.
"We are currently investigating the exact cause of the diversion, and plan to put the aircraft under maintenance after an inspection,” the spokesperson added.
As per a Taipei Times report, some passengers said that they might not board a flight for a while following the incident.