Korean Air Flight KE189 decompression incident

[Bonzo777]

13 passengers hospitalized after Korean Air flight drops 26,900 feet mid-flight3 passengers were taken to a hospital after a Korean Air flight dropped 26,900 feet mid-flight due to a fault in the aircraft’s pressurization sys tem.

Flight KE189 departed Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) on June 22, 2024 at about 16:45 local time, headed for Taichung International Airport (RMQ) in Taiwan.

50 minutes into the flight, the B737 MAX experienced a sudden uncontrolled decompression. According to FL360aero, the message “pressure s ystem (pressure control function of the aircraft) abnormality” was displayed while the aircraft was flying over Jeju Island.


According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft fell about 26,900 feet in around 15 minutes. The aircraft, carrying 125 passengers, was able to return to ICN Airport at approximately 19:40 local time.

One of the passengers onboard the flight was able to capture footage inside the cabin, showing that the oxygen masks had all dropped from overhead.According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft fell about 26,900 feet in around 15 minutes. The aircraft, carrying 125 passengers, was able to return to ICN Airport at approximately 19:40 local time.

[BonnieLass]

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/korean-air-flight-landed-safely-in-taichung-after-being-diverted-due-to-a-fault

https://www.businessinsider.com/korean-air-boeing-plane-plummeted-13-people-in-hospital-2024-6?op=1 (video links within article)

[dixi188]

So the aircraft "FELL" 26,900ft in 15 mins. That's less than 2000fpm. It's not a fall it's a controlled descent. Not even an emergency descent as that would be 4000 + fpm.
How many Pax went to hospital? 3 or 13?
It would appear that the aircraft had a pressurization fault and things worked out as designed.
Have you ever paid attention to the safety briefing from the cabin crew when they say, "In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, masks will drop from the overhead panel .....",
And where was the TURBULENCE?


OK, OK, I bit on the "Click Bait".


Didn't see BonnieLass's post until I had posted.

[waito]

What a violent, sudden and endless fall!
Terrorized passengers sunk in their seats with cold sweat all over!
Sharks were seen through the open doors, attracted by the blood in the cabin!

Seriously, let's wait for a trustworthy summary. Maybe there's some beef behind the headlines.

[Herod]

Unless there is more to this, it's a non-event. Sudden decompression would have been an emergency descent and as dixi says, a much greater rate of descent. This seems like a "fault" rather than a "failure", and descending to below 10,000' makes good sense.

[thnarg]

From the Independent’s website :ugh:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/742x967/img_4696_c58e08953615d79e938eac931b3507c627f26d53.jpeg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1640x195/img_4697_4385e6ea8b01e621169bafd7e00867b9c8df9419.jpeg

[DaveReidUK]

So the aircraft "FELL" 26,900ft in 15 mins. That's less than 2000fpm. It's not a fall it's a controlled descent.

I think you're mistaken. It was clearly a plummet. :O

[ATC Watcher]

Well other reports talk about 25.000ft in 5 minutes, or 5000 ft/min which would be more consistent with a standard emergency descent and the ear issues ( if proven correct) reported by some pax.
What does FR24 says ?

[OldnGrounded]

Well other reports talk about 25.000ft in 5 minutes, or 5000 ft/min which would be more consistent with a standard emergency descent and the ear issues ( if proven correct) reported by some pax.
What does FR24 says ?

According to the first post, above, FR24 says 15 minutes. But, yeah, the reported health issues and —according to some reporting — hospitalizations are more consistent with an emergency descent. And presumably there's some reason for all the silly headlines about the airplane "dropping" 25K feet.

[51bravo]

Re: passenger health issues. Cabin pressure might have "descended" much quicker.
...
I mean "climbed" of course (initially)

[HPSOV L]

They flew back to Incheon after the descent instead of landing immediately at Jeju. So logically it must have been undamaged hence no explosive or sudden depressurisation. Which only leaves a cabin pressure controller or pack problem.

[Heidhurtin]

Just out of interest, if the cabin pressurisation system failed (I know it's extremely unlikely), how long would it take for the pressure to drop to external values? I also assume there's all sorts of warning bells and whistles to let the sharp end know there's a problem before it requires a "plummet"? (Gotta love that word).

[Capn Bloggs]

From FR24, accuracy unknown.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/689x755/ke189_4cff6648915066e4d7cb2a1645cd7141fe3974b2.jpg

[DaveReidUK]

According to the first post, above, FR24 says 15 minutes. But, yeah, the reported health issues and —according to some reporting — hospitalizations are more consistent with an emergency descent. And presumably there's some reason for all the silly headlines about the airplane "dropping" 25K feet.

Post #1 is a badly cut-and-pasted (13 or 3 passengers hospitalized?), unattributed (my pet hate) quote from a dodgy "aviation news" website that clearly doesn't understand FR24.

I wouldn't give it too much credence.

[Peter H]

Looking at several of the reports, some use "hospitalization" and other "taken to hospital".

To me the former implies the need for inpatient care (if only for observation), while the latter might just mean a quick checkup at A&E (UK terminology).

[aeromech3]

Unless the aircraft was dispatched with MEL items, ( accepted not possible on ER or ETOPS flights) a singular failure of an air conditioning pack, pressurization control or outflow valve actuator should not present the need for a rapid decent which was indeed needed, as shown by O2 mask drop out.
Loss of pressurization at cruise is very unlikely unless the hull has been bridged.
I have flown on standard single pack Gulfsteams at over 40,000' and failure of that pack leaves no alternative action.

[OldnGrounded]

From FR24, accuracy unknown.


Pretty steep.

FlightAware track log (times in EDT): https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/KAL189/history/20240622/0640Z/RKSI/RKSI/tracklog

[DaveReidUK]

Pretty steep.

RoD as previously noted.

Flight path angle -5°.

[SQUAWKIDENT]

It's not an "accident" and it's not a "close call" so why is it even posted on this forum?

I wish PPRUNE would ban these clickbait posters.

[OldnGrounded]

RoD as previously noted.

Flight path angle -5°.

Well, in round numbers it's 25K feet in about seven minutes (if my old eyes are tracking the rows and columns properly). Not a "plummet" and not "falling" out of the sky, but no time was lost getting down to thicker air.

SQUAWKIDENT (https://www.pprune.org/members/77425-squawkident) is correct that it's not an accident or close call, but it is an interesting incident. And I doubt that the OP knowingly posted clickbait. But please include sources and links, folks.

[Jhieminga]

Just out of interest, if the cabin pressurisation system failed (I know it's extremely unlikely), how long would it take for the pressure to drop to external values? I also assume there's all sorts of warning bells and whistles to let the sharp end know there's a problem before it requires a "plummet"? (Gotta love that word).
That basically depends on the size of the hole through which air is departing the cabin. I did not read up on this incident, but assuming that the outflow valve controller failed and left the valve stuck in a particular position, it rather depends on that position. With the valve stuck half open/closed, switching the aircondition to high flow will delay the process a bit but depressurisation to ambient pressure may take quite some time still.
Bells and whistles.... the system will flag a controller not functioning properly, but cabin altitude warnings are less extensive. Mostly a warning horn when cabin altitude exceeds 10,000 feet. But that is based on an older 737 subtype, I am not familiar with the extra options on the MAX family.

[Maninthebar]

SQUAWKIDENT (https://www.pprune.org/members/77425-squawkident) is correct that it's not an accident or close call, but it is an interesting incident. And I doubt that the OP knowingly posted clickbait. But please include sources and links, folks.

If pax have been hospitalised I suggest that the event is DEFINITELY reportable.

[OldnGrounded]

If pax have been hospitalised I suggest that the event is DEFINITELY reportable.

I think the news reports I've seen (maybe excepting the worst of the clickbait yellow journalism) indicated that some pax were taken to hospital and quickly released after examination and perhaps some treatment. That wouldn't count as "serious injury" under FAR 49 Part 830 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/830.2).

Serious injury means any injury which: Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.

So, if the news reports are correct, the KE189 depressurization wouldn't be a reportable accident, due to injuries, under US rules. No idea what South Korean rules say. Whatever, I think it's an appropriate incident for discussion here — and the mods haven't moved it, at least not yet.