A Japan airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo turned into a harrowing experience for 191 people on board after the aircraft made an emergency landing at Kansai Airport on Monday evening. The plane, operated by Spring Airlines Japan under flight number IJ004, diverted to Osaka after a sudden loss of cabin pressure forced the pilots into an emergency landing.
What began as a routine evening flight from Pudong to Narita became for some passengers a near death experience.
“I thought I was going to die,” wrote one shaken passenger on social media, describing the dramatic drop in altitude and the moment oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. “My body is still here, but my soul hasn’t caught up. My legs are still shaking. When you face life or death, everything else feels trivial.”
According to flight tracking data and witness reports, the Boeing 737-800 plunged more than 10,000 metres (10km) to just 3,000 metres (3km) in about 20 minutes. Although no injuries were reported, passengers recounted moments of chaos, fear, and a chilling silence as the aircraft descended.
According to The Standard news agency, a woman named Wang recalled a chilling silence inside the cabin after the oxygen masks dropped. She said she genuinely feared for her life, and seeing flight attendants nearly in tears only deepened the panic. Another passenger told the outlet she had written a goodbye message to her husband as the plane was landing rapidly.
Japan’s transport ministry confirmed that the flight crew declared an emergency after an alert indicated cabin pressure irregularities which is an issue that while rare can be fatal if left unaddressed. Quick action by the pilots and communication with air traffic controllers helped ensure the aircraft landed safely at 8:50 pm local time.
Yet for those onboard, the nightmare didn’t end with touchdown. Passengers were kept inside the aircraft for over an hour, reportedly without clear communication. Amid growing complaints, Spring airlines Japan agreed to offer 15,000 yen in compensation to each passenger but only after individuals filed claims themselves.
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The incident again throws a spotlight on the Boeing 737-800, a model involved in numerous aviation disasters, including the 2022 crash of China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 and the Jeju air tragedy in South Korea that killed 179 in 2024. While Monday’s emergency ended without casualties, it has stirred unease among travelers already wary of the aircraft’s history.
For now, questions linger—about airline communication, aircraft maintenance, and passenger treatment—but for many who lived through the terrifying plunge, gratitude trumps outrage.
“We’re alive. That’s all that matters…But I’ll never forget the feeling of that fall. It changes you,” one of the passengers said.
Spring Airlines’ Chinese parent company was quick to distance itself, noting the incident involved Spring Airlines Japan, a joint venture with JAL. Japan Airlines, which took over majority control of the budget carrier in 2021, has not publicly commented beyond confirming the safe landing.
