Asia Pacific Airlines Boeing 757 Declares Emergency Over South China Sea

Airline Asia Pacific Airlines declared an emergency on one of its Boeing 757 flights from Hong Kong to Guam.

The aircraft, a 35.1-year-old Boeing 757-200 (N688SL), was on a routine scheduled flight between the two destinations when it made an unexpected deviation to the south-west and rapidly descended from its cruising altitude of 29,000 feet to 10,000 feet.

The emergency declaration was made via the 7700 squawk code, which is used in situations where there's a significant safety issue onboard. The plane then diverted to Manila, an airport best placed for emergencies in the area.

The reason for the emergency remains unclear, but it's speculated that the rapid descent could indicate an issue with the aircraft's pressurisation system, which can lead to hypoxia and oxygen issues at high altitudes.