Passengers suffer nosebleeds, ear pain after Boeing 737 MAX 8 cabin pressure system malfunctions

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet was forced to turn around and passengers began to suffer from nosebleeds and ear pain following a malfunction with the plane’s cabin pressurization system, according to reports.

Passengers on Korean Air Flight KE189, bound for the Taiwanese city of Taichung, reported that the plane’s systems began experience a problem soon after the flight took off Saturday afternoon.

Less than one hour into the trip, the plane turned back to Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported.

A a result of the malfnction, the Boeing 737 Max 8 was forced to rapidly descend from an altitude of over 30,000 feet to about 9,000 feet, Dimsum Daily Hong Kong reported.

The dramatic drop caused extreme discomfort and even health issues for some of the 125 passengers on board.

At least two passengers experienced nosebleeds as a result of the sudden shift, and an additional 15 passengers complained of ear pain and hyperventilation.

One passenger reported the sudden drops in altitude the G-force of an extreme rollercoaster.

Some 13 passengers required medical attention, according to South Korean authorities.

Despite, the chaos, no serious injuries were reported among the affected passengers.

Last October, an Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 experienced a similar problem while flying from Mexico City to Toronto, and was forced to divert to Houston.