Summary
- A LAM Mozambique Boeing 737 was forced to return to Maputo resulting from cabin depressurization, causing oxygen masks to deploy.
- Passengers shared images and videos of the incident, but just one person reported feeling unwell.
- The reason for the depressurization is currently unknown, however the crew followed procedures to make sure a protected landing.
A LAM Mozambique Boeing 737 aircraft operating a scheduled flight between Maputo International Airport (MPM) Johannesburg OR Tambo International (JNB) was forced to return to the Mozambican capital after a cabin depressurization incident.
Flight TM301 to Johannesburg
The one-aisle jet was operating flight TM301 from Maputo to Johannesburg on November 10. It departed MPM at 07:00 and was scheduled to reach at JNB around 08:05 local time. Nevertheless, about 35 minutes into the flight, the aircraft turned back, left South African airspace, and returned to its operational base. It landed at MPM around 08:08.
Images and videos shared by passengers show the oxygen masks deployed within the cabin through the flight. Upon landing, one passenger was taken to the hospital after falling sick. Nevertheless, no other injuries were reported onboard. In line with Lusa, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) said in an announcement,
“On this specific case, the crew made the choice to return to Maputo, the corporate’s operational base. The flight landed safely at Maputo International Airport.”
“The depressurization and consequent automatic release of masks occurs in adversarial flight situations for which the crews are trained and ready to offer immediate responses.”
Other passengers remained on the Maputo Airport before resuming their journey on one other aircraft. The airline also issued an apology to all customers for the inconvenience caused. LAM Mozambique operates as much as 20 weekly flights from MPM to JNB, including 4 on Fridays. Meanwhile, the airline is planning to resume intercontinental flights to Lisbon on December 12.
The aircraft in query
The aircraft involved within the incident is a 19-year-old Boeing 737-700, registration C9-BAR. It was previously operated by Aloha Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Lucky Air, Trans Air Congo, and Ibex Air Charter before joining LAM’s fleet in April 2019 through a lease agreement with Aergo Capital. The identical aircraft was involved in a runway tour in February 2021 at Quelimane Airport (UEL) while operating LAM flight TM1134.
Photo: maurodopereira | Shutterstock
C9-BAR stays on the bottom following the depressurization incident. In line with Flightradar24, the aircraft has not operated any scheduled flights since November 10. This month, C9-BAR had operated 54 flights for the national carrier, flying to several domestic and regional destinations, including Nampula (APL), Pemba (POL), Beira (BEW), Dar es Salaam (DAR), and Johannesburg.
In line with ch-aviation’s fleet module, C9-BAR is the one 737NG and the largest aircraft in LAM’s fleet. The airline has not stated when the aircraft is anticipated to resume service. The remaining of LAM’s fleet comprises one CRJ900LR, three DHC-8-Q400s, and two Embraer 145s operated by its subsidiary, Mocambique Expresso (MEX).
Causes of depressurization
The reason for the sudden depressurization on flight TM301 stays unknown. Nevertheless, it could result from structural failure, damaging impact to the fuselage, malfunctioning of the pressurization systems, or inadvertent crew motion. It’s a potentially severe emergency, especially when an aircraft is flying at higher altitudes.
Photo: chrisontour84 | Shutterstock
It just isn’t a wholly rare occurrence on military and civilian aircraft. Within the case of flight TM301, the pilots followed the obligatory steps to get the aircraft on the bottom safely without harming many of the passengers and crew. Nevertheless, prior to now, decompression incidents have been catastrophic, like within the case of Aloha Flight 243 and Helios Airways Flight 522.
What are your thoughts on this story? Have you ever ever been involved in an identical incident? Please tell us within the comments!
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