ANA Boeing 737 Initiates Emergency Descent Following Loss of Cabin Pressure
An ANA Wings Boeing 737-800, a subsidiary of All Nippon Airways (ANA), experienced a loss of cabin pressure during a domestic flight in Japan. The aircraft was forced to declare an emergency and made a safe landing at Nagoya Chubu Centrair International Airport.
The incident occurred on June 22, involving ANA Wings flight NH372 from Nagasaki Airport to Nagoya Chubu Centrair International Airport. The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) reported that during the descent, the aircraft's pressurization system malfunctioned, leading to a loss of cabin pressure. Consequently, the flight crew had to descend to a lower altitude to stabilize the cabin pressure.
According to the JTSB, the pilots declared an emergency and initiated a rapid descent. Flight records from Flightradar24 indicate that the flight departed Nagasaki at 9:47 AM local time and climbed to an initial cruising altitude of 27,000 feet. Shortly after, the aircraft increased its cruising altitude to 31,000 feet. However, it began descending at 10:23 AM, and the crew declared an emergency by squawking 7700, the code for a general emergency onboard an aircraft.
The ANA Wings Boeing 737-800 stabilized at 10,125 feet at 10:34 AM before descending again, eventually landing at Nagoya around 20 minutes later. Once the aircraft reached approximately 10,000 feet, the cabin pressure stabilized, allowing the crew to rescind the emergency declaration. Despite the successful landing, the JTSB will continue to investigate the incident.
Japan's NHK reported that seven passengers and four crew members felt unwell following the flight, with oxygen masks deployed in the cabin. There were 104 people on board. ANA issued an apology, expressing deep regret for the concern and inconvenience caused by the incident and pledged full cooperation with the JTSB's investigation, which has classified the event as a serious incident.