American Airlines flight plunges 15,000 feet in 3 minutes, passengers share terrifying ordeal

American Airlines flight to Florida drops 15,000 ft in 3 mins due to pressurization issue.

A routine flight took a terrifying turn when an American Airlines plane bound for Florida suddenly dropped over 15,000 feet within three minutes, leaving passengers shaken. American Airlines Flight 5916 was en route from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Gainesville, Florida, when the incident unfolded, as reported by Fox News. The incident was attributed to a "possible pressurization issue" on the aircraft.

FILE PHOTO - An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight from Los Angeles approaches for landing at Reagan National Airport shortly after an announcement was made by the FAA that the planes were being grounded by the United States in Washington, US on March 13. (REUTERS)

Passenger Harrison Hove, a University of Florida professor, recounted the harrowing experience on social media. He described the ordeal as "terrifying" and revealed that photos couldn't capture the intense burning smell, loud noise, and ear-popping sensation that accompanied the incident. Images he shared show oxygen masks dangling from above, with passengers, including himself, relying on them for breathing. Hove praised the flight crew, stating, "Kudos to our amazing flight crew – cabin staff and pilots on @AmericanAir 5916. The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops. Good to be on the ground."

According to data from FlightAware, the plane rapidly descended almost 20,000 feet within a mere 11 minutes. Particularly alarming was the aircraft's rapid descent of 18,600 feet in less than six minutes, occurring 43 minutes into the flight.

Mr. Hove revealed in a tweet that a mid-flight failure led to cabin depressurization, causing the unsettling burning smell. He explained that the wing flaps were deployed to quickly lower the plane's altitude to increase available oxygen. Despite the terrifying experience, Hove reassured that the situation ultimately resolved safely.

American Airlines issued a statement to Fox News regarding the incident, explaining that the crew's decision to descend to a lower altitude was prompted by the pressurization concern. A spokesperson conveyed, "American Eagle flight 5916, operated by Piedmont Airlines, from Charlotte (CLT) to Gainesville, Florida (GNV) landed safely in GNV on Thursday, August 10. While in flight, the crew received an indication of a possible pressurization issue and immediately and safely descended to a lower altitude. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience and thank our team for their professionalism."