The pax injuries sound like rapid rise in pressure problems. Years ago an Air Europe B757 depressurised at FL350 and dived. If I remember correctly there were several pax with major ear problems. In my biz-jet days I had a pax, who at FL100, was screaming in ear pain. They had a cold. The only solution was to climb and then descend at a lower rate for the cabin. They were in terrible pain with only 500fpm ROD. Now imagine the effect of 4000fpm ROD. That's what happened on B757. Now imagine it happens to one of the crew. They will be incapacitated, severely. I've tried for years to argue that the ROD in an unpressurised descent needs to be reduced long before 10,000'. You go ski-ing at 12,000' no problem. An unpressurised a/c, e.g. PA-31, flies max 500fpm up & down for safety & comfort, but a jet at 11,000' can subject everyone to 4000fpm change. Why? Daft, unnecessary unless you are a lawyer. When real life mechanical failures occur the industry learns form them and redesigns the bit that broke. After unpressurised descents and ear problems occur why is the procedure not redesigned to alleviate, safely, the potential critical safety problem? Pax O2 comes on at 14,000'; that would be a good place to consider changing the SOP. The rate of increase in pressure/2000' of descent is massive below 20,000 compared to the higher levels. Everyone is on O2 so 2000fpm ROD at FL180 and then 1000fpm ROD at FL140 will not kill anyone, but it sure will alleviate burst ear drums. So why don't we do it? What is the medical physiological reason not to do so? It is really so black & white about 10,000'?