Panic ensues as AirAsia flight plunges nearly 24,000 feet in 9 minutes

An AirAsia flight fell 24,000 feet after the plane lost cabin pressure on its way to Bali on Sunday.

NBC obtained passenger footage of emergency masks that dropped from the ceiling while passengers said crew members told them to brace for a crash.

One of the passengers said that the airline staff were screaming and looked "shocked."

The airline said in a statement that the plane had to be turned around because of a "technical issue."

The website FlightRadar that tracks flights using GPS says that plane descended 23,800 feet in the span of nine minutes.

The plane landed back in Perth, Australia, where emergency services were on hand, and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is conducting an investigation.

The airline apologized to its passengers and they were transferred to the next available flight.

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