Passengers on a Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo experienced a terrifying ordeal on Monday when a mechanical fault in the Boeing 737 plane caused it to plummet nearly 26,000 feet.

The aircraft, carrying 191 passengers and crew, dropped from roughly 36,000 feet to just below 10,500 feet within 10 minutes. Oxygen masks were released inside the cabin, leading some onboard to fear a potential crash.

One individual was reportedly “on the verge of tears” as they hastily penned their will and financial details amidst the plane’s rapid descent.

Frightening malfunction

This frightening malfunction follows a string of Boeing-related incidents, including the widely-reported Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad earlier in June , reports the Mirror US.

Japan Airlines flight JL8696 took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport in China, bound for Tokyo’s Narita Airport, on Monday. At around 6:53 p m. local time, the plane suddenly began to descend at a distressing rate.

Alert activated

An alert activated during the fall suggested an anomaly in the aircraft’s pressurisation system, according to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

“I heard a muffled boom, and the oxygen mask fell off in a few seconds. The stewardess cried and shouted to put on the oxygen mask, saying the plane had a malfunction,” one passenger recounted, as reported by People.

“Suddenly, all the oxygen masks popped open while I was sleeping,” one passenger recounted. Other travellers on the flight expressed fears of losing consciousness due to the swift pressure change.

The captain declared an emergency with air traffic control, prompting a diversion of the aircraft to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, where it landed safely at 8:50 p. m., thankfully without any injuries.

Emergency aftermath

Passengers were compensated with 15,000 yen ($93) and provided with overnight accommodation as a gesture of goodwill.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the incident.

In related news, a Boeing 737 Dreamliner was involved in a collision with a stationary aircraft at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam last week, causing considerable damage.

Boeing has faced scrutiny following a separate event last year involving an Alaska Airlines flight, where a side exit door detached mid-flight.