A Korean Airlines flight bound for Taiwan, KE189, turned into a nightmare for some passengers after experiencing a near-disastrous descent. The flight, which took off from Incheon International Airport in South Korea on Saturday, encountered technical difficulties just 50 minutes into the journey. The plane then began a rapid descent, plummeting an alarming 26,900 feet in a mere 15 minutes, according to data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24.
After more than two hours in the air, the flight finally landed back at Incheon International Airport. Reports from Korean media indicated that 13 passengers were hospitalized after landing, while 15 passengers complained of pain in their eardrums or hyperventilation due to the extreme plunge.
The flight finally reached its destination in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sunday, 19 hours after its initial departure. The traumatic experience left some passengers vowing never to fly again. One passenger, identified only as Tseng in The Taipei Times, recounted how children on the flight cried as oxygen masks were deployed during the descent. He expressed his fear that the plane might crash into the ground.
Another passenger, Hsu, described noticing something wrong as the aircraft seemed to hover in the air while flight attendants remained in their seats. She also reported experiencing ear pain as the flight began its dramatic drop. The incident highlights the importance of flight safety and the potential for even seemingly routine flights to turn into harrowing experiences.
