The friendly skies have been downright terrifying lately -- and the latest scare saw passengers on a Japan Airlines flight writing goodbye notes as a sudden mechanical issue sent the plane into a steep, panic-inducing descent.

Catch this nerve-wracking clip -- a Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo had passengers grabbing deployed oxygen masks as the Boeing 737 took a terrifying dive, plummeting from around 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 in less than 10 minutes, per People.

There were 191 passengers and crew onboard -- and one rattled flyer said even the flight attendant was in tears as she screamed for everyone to put on their oxygen masks, shouting that the plane had a malfunction.

A dad did what any panicked parent would -- he dove straight into the Atlantic after his young daughter fell off a Disney cruise ship -- and the wild rescue played out in real time via passengers' phones.

It all went down around 11 AM Sunday -- when a little girl, about 5 years old, fell overboard from the 4th deck of the $900M Disney Dream as it cruised back to Fort Lauderdale from the Bahamas … and without missing a beat, her dad jumped in right after her.

The two were left treading rough waters for a nerve-shredding 20 minutes, while shocked passengers could only watch from the rails as they drifted further out, becoming just two tiny dots in the distance.

Lauren Sanchez Bezos tied the knot with billionaire Jeff Bezos Friday in Venice, Italy amid a grand gallery of celebrity guests and an ongoing party in the city ... and she's revealing a hint about her "something blue" wedding keepsake for the big day -- fittingly, it has to do with her now-official hubby's space company Blue Origin ... though she's choosing to be demure about it.

Lauren shares in an interview with Vogue -- during a fitting for her wedding dress -- she and Jeff were keeping to a few traditional aspects for their grand nuptials ... one being a secret souvenir she brough along during her 11-minute, female-filled Blue Origin trip to space.

You may know the old phrase instructing brides what to wear for good luck in their marriage ... "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." The "something blue" a bride-to-be is supposed to wear in the ceremony should be an item that reflects the color of purity, love, and fidelity ... and it's meant to ward away evil.

Only the star-studded wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos could make Paris Fashion Week look like an also-ran of who's who.

Over on the Boot ... the billionaire and now-bride were living it up with 200 of the richest and powerful people on the globe ... while over in City of Light, stars who did not land a wedding invite were strutting their stuff.

Paris Fashion Week participants included the likes of Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Tori Brixx, Rich The Kid, Duarte and Delphin Musquet -- certainly no slouches in the world of fame!

Rick Ross decided Hip Hop was in need of more opulent sound -- so he linked with Pharrell Williams and shot a music video in the streets of Paris!!!

On Friday, Rozay ignited his new record deal with the release of his "For The Money," the lead single for his upcoming 12th album.

Rick Ross tells TMZ Hip Hop, “This record represents elevation — not just in sound, but in mindset."

Brad Pitt's got some problems at home ... because while he was out of the country promoting his new movie, cops say his L.A. pad was hit by burglars.

The Los Angeles Police Department tells TMZ ... officers responded to the actor's home for a reported break-in Wednesday night and cops believe 3 suspects entered the home -- though it's unclear what, if anything, was taken.

Our sources tell us Brad was NOT home at the time of the alleged break-in ... he was overseas in Japan. Brad's been on a press tour for "F1."

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are kissing like there’s no tomorrow -- playing lovestruck teens while cruising to their fairy tale wedding rehearsal in Venice … while all the world watches.

The PDA was full throttle -- the couple were smooching and waving like royalty from their water taxi Thursday, with Jeff grinning ear to ear and Lauren beaming just as hard ... looking surprisingly comfortable for someone dripping in extreme, skintight couture

Lauren was serving bombshell -- rocking a sculpted off-the-shoulder midi with a metallic bodysuit that snatched her waist to perfection. If there was a pre-wedding health kick, it definitely did the job!

Terrifying scene in Michigan -- a helicopter took a tumble and in a catastrophic crash ... right next to a lakefront restaurant, and the whole thing was caught on camera by stunned diners.

Watch this -- as the chopper tried to touch down on the beach at Lake St. Clair, it suddenly tipped forward, skidded forward on its blade, then violently crashed onto its side ... sending up a massive cloud of smoke and dirt.

There was total panic at Cabana Blue Lakefront Sports Bar & Grill -- diners sprinted from their seats to the wreckage, trying to help the chopper’s passengers after the horrifying crash.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding will be the G.O.A.T. -- or at least in the presence of one ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned Tom Brady is slated to attend the festivities!!

We're told TB12 is one of countless big names on the guest list for the Amazon billionaire's nuptials in Venice this week ... even though just under 200 people are expected to be there.

TB12 and Bezos have gotten pretty chummy over the years -- in fact, they're neighbors at Indian Creek in Miami ... also known as "Billionaire Bunker."

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have made their mark in St. Mark's Square, and everywhere else in Venice ... they've become a legit tourist attraction!!!

Lifelike statues of Mr. Amazon and his future billionaire bride popped up around the sinking city, where tourists posed next to Jeff as the wedding looms.

Jeff may want to steer clear of his likeness. His 5'7" muscular frame is dwarfed by the 6' sculpture. The statue is festooned with fake dollar bills with his mug on it!

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding guests will want for nothing ... 'cause they're reportedly spending an eyepopping $50,000 per person for their ritzy Venetian wedding!

The sky-high number comes from a report from Brides.com ... and with a guest list just under 200 people, that's a minimal $10 million wedding.

Of course, that's just pocket money for someone who is rolling in it. Remember ... the Amazon founder is estimated to be worth $230 billion, per Bloomberg.

Venice might sink from all the luggage guests are bringing to the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez ... because they've got to pack everything under the sun for a bunch of hoity-toity theme parties ... so forget about carry-ons!!

Sources tell TMZ ... Jeff and Lauren's wedding itinerary features 3 theme parties, including a pajama-themed bash, so guests will need clothes, outfits and accessories for a wide range of events. No light traveling here.

The wedding will likely have a rehearsal dinner, reception and some cocktail parties ... so guests will have a ton of other crap to pack ... and we haven't even gotten to the actual nuptials. At least the weekend foam party required little more than swimwear.

A Southwest Airlines passenger went off the rails -- screaming, spiraling, and getting dragged off the plane in a full-blown meltdown caught on camera.

Multiple videos captured the chaos this week on a flight from NYC's LaGuardia to Kansas City -- an unidentified woman went berserk, attacking another female passenger and clinging to her hair for dear life, refusing to let go as others tried to peel her off ... without making things worse.

The belligerent passenger was certainly going through it ... insisting she wasn’t even touching the woman’s hair, despite a handful of the woman's locks in her fist -- full-on spiraling, hurling offensive slurs not just at her target but at everyone around her.

The Spanish summer heat is sizzling -- so much so, Billie Eilish and her crew said screw it, stripping down for a bold, moonlit plunge into the Mediterranean Sea!

Catch the pics and vids -- Billie, bikini-clad and living her best life, hit the beach in Barcelona with her friends, clearly on a mission to make it a night to remember.

Billie was just like any beach babe on vacay -- jumping waves, splashing around, and soaking up the moment before toweling off with the gang.

A well-earned breather for Billie -- who's smack in the middle of her 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' tour grind.

7:40 AM PT -- BBC News reports a single person is believed to have survived the crash, a British citizen. The Ahmedabad Police Commissioner told a local news agency the man has been hospitalized. Local media reports indicate the man's name is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, and according to the flight manifest, he was in seat 11A on the Dreamliner ... he told reporters about 30 seconds after take-off, he heard a loud noise before the plane crashed.

A London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 souls crashed just moments after departure Thursday ... exploding in a fireball that was caught on video.

Check it out ... as the Boeing 787-8 jet makes its initial ascent, the plane struggles to gain altitude before it suddenly drops, slamming into B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The aircraft goes up in flames, sending smoke billowing into the air with debris strewn across the city.

Ahmedabad's police commissioner told the Associated Press there were no survivors ... and at least 5 students were reportedly killed at the college.