QATAR AIRWAYS,emergency pa on Sunday night into Bahrain

[robione]

I estimate we were about 7-8 miles finals sliding down the ils at Bah [DOHA - BAH ABOUT 21-30 ATA] when suddenly on the PA [THIS IS AN EMERGENCY] what a wake up call [AN OXYGEN MASK WILL DROP DOWN] MESSAGE CEASED.SILENCE-i was in an isle seat about half way down the aircraft on the right side{A320} the female to my right almost fainted and the arab chap to her right started praying loud.@bout 20 secs later THIS IS AN EMERGENCY but this time it ceased pretty abrubtly. Well holding a Commercial licence helped me because i deduced rightly or wrongly that hey were on finals we dont need oxy and guessed it was obviously something that had happened by mistake, i was ok but the majority of the pax were pretty shaken and worried looking.On leaving the a/c i asked the purser what had happened, he replied about what? apparently he knew nothing about it.It was a recorded message and it was i can only describe as A BIT CACKALY.Much chat took place when the a/c was safely at the gate.Anybody care to enlighten me as to what may have caused this?. It made for an interesting arrival and boy did it wake me up when i heard those first four words.

ps PPRUNNERS IM IN HENRYS TONIGHT 21-00 FOR ANY ONE WHO WANTS TO TALK FLYING OR WHATEVER

[homesick rae]

Methinks the wrong code was punched in for the pre landing announcement!

[Bang]

This has happend before on A 320.

[mutt]

Rabione,

As a commercial pilot you should have realized that most if not all of the PA’s are automated. This appears that someone hit the wrong buttons. From my understanding of QR CRM I doubt that ANYONE would admit to hearing this strange message.

Mutt.

[A300Man]

This has happened before. As homesick said, wrong codes punched into the automated pa voicebox in this cae though.

Happened before when a western CS pressed the CORRECT coding and the automated PA in ARABIC declared imminent ditching. The CS realised that the ARABIC pa was not the regular pattern of words. But didnt exactly know what was being said.

Transpired that there was some sort of wiring or electronic programming error on the machine. This was verified by engineering in Doha verified the same when the aircraft returned there. A7 ABS if i recall properly.

[robione]

Thanks for the info chaps, Mutt i havent got to fly any big machines yet, not conversant with the workings of the baby bus,but now have a better understanding,thanks.Just flown on the 300-600 into Bkk ,great machine ,wonderfull crew,great food, 1 happy pax.

[Rosbif]

Once had a screwed up headphone system in a bus coming out of Greece for Canada, (via Shannon). Since we were augmented crew, went in back to try to help reboot the entertainment system. Finger slipped and the auto announcement (in Arabic !!:mad: ) from previous AC owner starts up. (we never used this system).
Slight sense of humour failure from pax !!!.
This was 2 weeks after 9/11 .

I spoke to maintenance, and they removed the CD with the recordings on it. (they found 4 ac with same)

Found that prayer time sounded really spooky if you didn't know what it was.

So,-- It happens everywhere.:ok:

[Spearing Britney]

Had the same on a Virgin 747 out of Las Vegas in the climb, no PA made to counter the 'this is an emergency...' message, flaps came up and climb went on so assumed all well. Cabin crew should really have said something though...

[robione]

Yep, i agree with the above that the cabin crew should have said something.I expect it will have left a bitter taste to some of the pax.

[Bang]

The first of such an event at QR took place in 1997,when SK was the FSS (CSD) on a B-747 (Ex-all nippon) Air craft to DOH-CAI-LGW,when a pre recorded emergency PA suddenly came on.

[strength]

this has happened before - shame the CS on the aircraft was bollocked by the office - the office (probably the slimey snake himself) didn't believe the CS - no surprise!

[homesick rae]

Bang, I think I was on that!!

[A300Man]

Jesus, Homesick, you're older than I thought!

[Bang]

were you on that flight too, A 300 man?

[homesick rae]

Yeah A300 Man...need a zimmer to get the full length of the cabin now! Oh and I'd probably have to shuffle down sideways even then! You know those "wide-bodies!";)

[A300Man]

Bang
No - I wasnt on that particular flight.

[nilnotedtks]

Came across this once before and a bit premature to point at " finger trouble " with the crew. The problem was the cabin altitude pressure switch that detects high cabin alt. and then goes on to give the auto call before the masks drop !

[scanscanscan]

Does this PA fault occur on Boeing aircraft?

[Bang]

As said before,it did occur on the Qatari B-747.

I presume,any air craft with pre recorded facility is prone to this either due to human error or technical reasons.