PA announcement

[alexban]

Hy
What would be your PA announcement regarding an impending rapid descent?
thks
Alex

[Permenant Standby]

Hi

If you are talking about an emergency descent after a decompression then you would do the descent first and worry about a PA later....you may chose to do it in the descent to reassure passengers & crew that all is under control but you wouldn't tell them first you would have more imoportant things to worry about thats for sure!

If you did one you would say something short and to the point, telling them the aircraft has lost pressurisation and you are descending to a safe altitude...and tell them they must keep their masks on until told otherwise by the crew. Something along those lines.....

Regards

P.S.

[alexban]

in the qrh the pa anouncemet is the first thing to make,prior to start emergency descent items.
probably to allow the pax to sit,so they won't fly skyhigh
you won't like to have back injured pax,suing you couse you didn't make a pa adress

[mupepe]

hello,
in case of impending descent In my airline it's " Attention Cabin crew Rapid Descend"," Attention Cabin crew Rapid Descend"!
in order to not scare the pax too much by not using the word "emergency" :cool:
regards

[Basil]

I'd say no communication with cabin until emergency descent is complete. If descent is due to decompression at cruise altitude there will be a very high rate of descent and the MOST IMPORTANT, if not the only important, consideration is to avoid hitting the ground - which may be very high.

Pax have already been briefed to fit masks if they drop down (yes, I know! we've all had one or two drop on arrival :ooh: )

If the flight crew make a p.a. esp with O2 masks fitted and consequent sound distortion pax may think they are being told to remove their O2 masks.

Stop the descent at FL100 or minimum safe altitude.
Remember:
QNH vs standard.
Temperature error if very cold.
Add increment for venturi effect over mountains if strong winds.

Advise 'Descent complete.' or if remaining above O2 altitude due high ground.

OK, granny, I know you can suck eggs but I just thought I'd mention it all :D

[Right Way Up]

Alexban,
I am assuming you are looking at the 737 QRH. I never understood why it was in there, but as others say emergency descent actions are the priority. Personally I would also prefer not to do a PA until the masks are off. It is a bit of a 50-50 call, but a PA using masks will not settle anybody's nerves!

[TopBunk]

Alex

Thinkoutside the box, what were you told in early training, was it not ..... Aviate .....Navigate......Communicate?


Now, do you STILL want to talk to the passengers first? I hope not!

1. AVIATE - Sort the aircraft out (NHP onto oxygen while HP starts descent, then swap roles so both on oxygen) then

2. NAVIGATE - refine descent [descent track speed and altitiude to avoid ground and others], then aircraft systems check.

3. COMMUNICATE - first ATC to let them know, then PA to crew and pax

any other sequence, imho, is incorrect.

[mrgondim]

I agree that we should fly the airplane first, but some airlines instruct their pilots to notify the passengers of an impending emergency descent. In my case, we have to instruct the passengers to "put on their masks and pay attention to the flight attendants because we had a sudden lost of pressure and will have to descent at a higher than normal rate of descent"!? I just think it is too much to say when you have a lot in mind.


Regards.:ok:

[Mr Levitator]

Your PA to the passengers-with a rapidly climbing cabin altitude-will certainly grab thier attention. This may distract them from putting on thier masks. If the decompression was rapid, there will be a lot of noise in the cabin anyway (passengers talking......), so they prob won't hear it properly. The cabin staff may also be distracted because they need to know hwat is going on. Now, as you are making the PA, the a/c is being flown in a single crew respect. This will make things really bad if there is a system fail(s) etc which has caused the decompression-or even worse, airframe damage. All the while, the time of useful conciousness will have been vastly exceeded!! I think a talk to the chief cabin steward first, then let them brief the cabin-so the front end can get on and do the job-FLY the a/c. Then when the problem is contained, the a/c at MSA or below FL100, a PA from the flight crew might be ok.