What happened
On July 30, 2012, at approximately 0920 UTC, a Boeing 737-800, registration ZS-SJB, operated by South African Airways, experienced a sudden decompression. The event occurred roughly one hour after the aircraft had departed.
Following the decompression, oxygen masks deployed from the overhead panels. The flight crew declared an emergency and initiated a descent to flight level 10000. The aircraft subsequently returned to Johannesburg, South Africa, and landed safely at 1049Z. There were no injuries reported among the occupants, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
The investigation
The South African Civil Aviation Authority is conducting the investigation. The NTSB appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the South African authorities, as the United States is the state of manufacture for the aircraft.