Mumbai Emergency Landing of Ethiopian Plane Caused by Pressure Loss in Cabin; Understanding the Concern
**Sudden Cabin Depressurization: What Happens and How Pilots Respond**
In the rare event of sudden cabin depressurization in an airplane, the cabin loses its pressurized environment due to mechanical failure, structural damage, or an air leak. This rapid loss of pressure can expose passengers and crew to dangerously low oxygen levels, as commercial planes typically cruise at altitudes around 30,000 to 40,000 feet, where outside air pressure is insufficient for normal breathing.
Causes of sudden cabin depressurization can include mechanical failure in the pressurization system, structural issues or damage to the aircraft fuselage, or air leaks that cause rapid loss of cabin air pressure.
When the cabin pressure drops suddenly, oxygen levels fall, increasing the risk of hypoxia (oxygen deprivation), which can cause dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, or loss of consciousness. To combat this, commercial aircraft are equipped with automatic oxygen masks that deploy from overhead panels for passengers and crew.
Pilots immediately initiate an emergency descent to a much lower altitude, typically around 10,000 feet—where atmospheric pressure is sufficient for safe breathing without supplemental oxygen. The emergency descent can feel like a rapid drop or plunge but is necessary to restore a breathable environment inside the aircraft. After stabilizing at the lower altitude, pilots proceed to make an emergency landing to ensure passenger health and safety.
Incidents such as Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET640 in June 2025, which suffered a sudden loss of cabin pressure at 33,000 feet, illustrate this procedure: the pilots conducted a rapid emergency descent and landed safely, though some passengers required medical attention for decompression-related symptoms after landing.
For passengers, it's crucial to put on their oxygen masks immediately and stay composed, following crew instructions, especially when the plane is descending. If there is a leak in the cabin pressure seal, the cabin altitude can rise beyond 14,000 ft, causing the oxygen masks to automatically drop down. In such cases, passengers must wear their masks first and then help their children to avoid any adversity.
Other causes of Rapid Depressurisation may include leaks, system failures, engine bleed, and rapid decompression, according to aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranangananthan. In the event of cabin depressurization, an emergency descent at an altitude up to 10,000 ft is the ultimate resort to ensure passenger safety. This controlled pressure in aircraft cabins prevents hypoxia, a condition which can lead to dizziness, headache, unconsciousness, and eventually death.
It's worth noting that a Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800 operating flight JL8696 from Shanghai to Tokyo made an emergency descent from 36,000 ft to about 10,500 ft in under 10 minutes due to a cabin pressure alert. Despite the rapid descent, all 191 passengers and crew on the flight were unharmed.
In summary, cabin depressurization is caused by failure in the aircraft’s pressurization system or structural integrity, and pilots respond by deploying oxygen masks and descending quickly to a safe altitude, followed by an emergency landing to safeguard the passengers and crew.
In the aviation industry, sudden cabin depressurization can occur due to mechanical failures in the pressurization system, structural issues, or air leaks, which could lead to financial impacts if the aircraft needs maintenance or if there are delays in transportation.
To combat hypoxia, an oxygen deprivation condition, commercial aircraft are equipped with automatic oxygen masks and emergency descents are initiated, potentially affecting the finance sector if delays or cancellations disrupt travel itineraries.
