easyJet depressurisation 4/7/07

[CherokeeDriver]

You gotta love the London Daily Mail!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23402991-details/Terrified+Easyjet+passengers+feared+they+would+die+as+plane+ plummeted+23%2C000ft/article.do

[Three Yellows]

Whilst I love every chance to have a go at The Daily Mail, it was in fact the London Evening Standard.

Anyway, sounds like one of my normal approaches.:}

[ibelieveicanfly]

Well,it seems the crew reacted well and according to procedures + a precautionary landing.
well done

[SOPS]

The c:mad::mad:p continues to flow. "Blood soaked terror death plunge, all passangers close to violent death in screaming dive of horror" :ugh::ugh::ugh:

[Ferdinand]

EY is a different carrier and not easy jet.

[hobie]

"My girlfriend had heard a noise as if a drill wasn't connecting and a screw was loose coming from under the wing, and there was a strange smell of sweet tobacco. The plane suddenly shot down and my life flashed before my eyes."


There could be a book in this ........ :p

[A4]

Could any Journo's reading this please tells us why everything to do with aviation is sensationalised? Why not accountancy or plumbing?? - Plumber fractures pipe - "I thought we would all drown said Doris Crump!!!!"

I accept that for the passengers, and in all honesty the crew as well, the descent would have been a testing experience.

However, the FACT (never let the facts get in.....) is that the aircraft developed a fault which was dealt with in the appropriate way by the crew (Flight deck and Cabin). Crew practice this exact event in the simulator frequently. Once the aircraft is down to 10,000 feet you can breathe normally and the landing would have been entirely normal (assuming it wasn't an explosive decomp with possible damage).

So why always SHOCK, HORROR, NEAR DEATH!!!!! They were probably nearer to death on the M25/M23 on the way to the airport - seriously!!!

Don't treat the public like morons/school children (apart from the Paris Hilton worshippers..... :yuk: ) Write your articles in an adult manner - this country is dumbed down enough. Do you really think it "sells papers". How does that work if the article is on page 5??????????

So come on Journo's - justify your position / sensationalism / inaccurate reporting. If you (or your employer) were to be financially penalised for inaccurate/damaging reporting perhaps it would be a different story (no-pun intended).

I'm definately getting older :(

A4 :hmm:

[waldopepper42]

'twas in this mornings Daily Mail as well. I read it with some amusement over breakfast! Disappointed that there was no grappling with controls or nearby schools. Not even so much as a nun with a guitar :( Come on guys at the mail. You can do bettert han this! :D

One thing that occurs to me is

a) Most passengers aren't used to being in aircraft, so anything out of the ordinary can be really scary,

b) The opportunity to get their / your name in the papers doesn't happen too often for most people so you can't really blame the passengers for talking the story up a bit!

Go gently with Joe public, by all means lambast the press :E:E

[baps]

Standard Journo use of the words plummet and plunge when talking about aircraft incidents.... makes it sound more dramatic. Must have been bad particularly for the poor old lady who tripped as she left the plane. Not too sure if that was caused by the depressurisation. Anyway well done to the crew who as per usual fail to get a mention for a job well done!!

[bellend]

how did they get a photographer to 12000 ft to take the snap of the plunging jet :ugh:
its not even a minibus
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_01/easyjet_468x301.jpg

[rallymania]

have to say this article made me laugh out loud, not a good response in a busy office, but i digress

the comment form the un-informed (hard to believe some-one being less informed than me, but hey) "sounds like a major technical fault!" lol

wasn't on this flight obviously, but always impressed by the proffesionalism of flight crews such as yourselves in these situations.

loved the picture of the 737? when the article was about 319, carefully rotated to make it look like it was "plumeting" i think they missed a trick there, surely a 45deg nose down with a dropped nearside wing would have been more dramatic

bloomin' pish! :D:D:D

[Mentaleena]

This cringy "COME ON LET'S FLY" has always irritated me.
So "COME ON LET'S PLUMMET" is the way to go!!!:D:D:D

[SLFguy]

Do you really think it "sells papers".

er...yes, they do think that...

er...because it does sell papers.

:confused:

[llondel]

So how long does it take to plummet 23000ft, as opposed to merely reducing altitude quickly and safely? Assuming you don't want to rip the wings off. As for screaming, I would have though the oxygen masks would have muted most of that, and those who chose not to bother with the mask would probably have stopped pretty soon for other reasons...

[anotherthing]

Sensationalist journalism at its best... (or is it worst?)

I was rather amused when after reading about 'fears of a terror attack' and 'plummeting jets', that the reporter then went on to describe the horrific injuries that the lucky to be alive passengers suffered.

One woman was taken to hospital suffering acute pain in her ears

a ten-year-old girl was treated by paramedics for discomfort in her ears.


An elderly woman was treated for an injury after tripping while leaving the plane


You can understand the panic that the travelling public would have faced... unless they are very unlucky and are a bit of a jinx, then this is probably the first time they have experienced something like this, so fear, etc is very understandable. It's easy, cheap, headline grabbing stuff that in reality has no real news worthiness.



lan Royland, 40, a band leader from Chelsea said: "When the oxygen masks suddenly shot down I practically fainted.

That's why they drop down matey, to stop you from passing out... put the damned thing on!

[SLFguy]

lan Royland, 40, a band leader from Chelsea said: "When the oxygen masks suddenly shot down I practically fainted.

That's why they drop down matey, to stop you from passing out... put the damned thing on!

Well I'm sorry to say that although I fly just about weekly I am not the world's happiest bunny, (couple of scotchs help), and I would certainly be er...startled if they deployed. I think the pax may have been using a figure of speech :rolleyes:

So you may be the consumate aviation professional and wouldn't bat an eyelid but please spare a thought for us mere SLF.

Feel free to shoot the press tho..:p

[F/O Speaking]

Just posted my reader view on the article. I bet they don`t print it!!!:ooh:

[anotherthing]

SLFguy

I wasn't having a go at the pax, Ian Royland, it was tongue in cheek.

I know for a fact that I would be more than a tad concerned if I happened to be on a flight that initiated an emergency descent. As an ATCO though, that fear would probably be caused more by the worry of what other A/C we might hit on the way down, rather than the actual descent itself... the pilots are well trained and very skilled in dealing with emergencies.

Of course, as a passenger, I would neccesarily be privvy to what had caused the descent, or what the cause of the depressurisation was, so that in itself would compound the fear.

During this incident there was understandable and perfectly normal reactions from the passengers, it's just the fact that the journo has managed to twist it so that although it was a well executed (and therefore safe) manoeuvre, it was an incident that endangered the lives of thousands!!

[SLFguy]

"As an ATCO though, that fear would probably be caused more by the worry of what other A/C we might hit on the way down, rather than the actual descent itself"


:eek: Thanks for that...it wasn't even on my list of worries until now..:\

[Capt. Inop]

its not even a minibus

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2230/easyhy8.jpg :p

[alswiffin]

"My girlfriend had heard a noise as if a drill wasn't connecting and a screw was loose coming from under the wing, and there was a strange smell of sweet tobacco. The plane suddenly shot down and my life flashed before my eyes."
There could be a book in this ........
It's already a ride at Universal Studios, you have to supply your own sweet tobacco though......

[Few Cloudy]

You write moronic copy - and you encourage moronic thinking (already rife in UK for some time now) - so then there is a market for more moronic copy, which generates more moronic thinking...

How many pax really listen to the safety briefing? Masks and their use are covered therein. There are airlines which use phrases like "in the unlikely event of..." which actually lead to lack of attention.

This by the way is not an EZY phrase - they jump rght in and say "if there is a failure in the air supply..." (which can of course be a reason for depress. but a more usual reason is on the outflow side ofhe system).

Anyway that's enough reasoning - let's get back to the "victims"...

FC.

[F/O Speaking]

Great picture Captain Inop. Add some flames though please!

[SailorOrion]

The easyJet flight from Gatwick to Palma in Majorca plunged thousands of feet before making an emergency landing


I wonder how else they would have made an emergency landing? I know relatively few airfields with an elevation of 35.000ft ...

SailorOrion

[Airbourne-Adamski]

Bet the pax that were onboard will be paying attention to the Safety Demo on their next flights.

Takes things like this for pax to realise that we don't just stand there for the fun of it still baffles me.

[cwatters]

Perhaps it's time PRUNE set up a prize for the most laughable avaition related story in the press? Awarded anually perhaps?

[cwatters]

Cockpit video released...
http://www.maximonline.com/slideshows/videos/planecrashes.aspx?film=7&src=jb40

[Selfloading]

OOOO they published my reply in "readers views" see "Mark, Huntingdon England" :ok:

[HowlingWind]

Not being a tabaccy head, can anyone please explain what "sweet tobacco" is? Is it a euphemism for that stuff they sell in Amsterdam? :confused:

Saw your comments on the web site, earlier, Mark. Well done! And nice clips, cwatters! :ok:

[Capt. Inop]

Cockpit video released...
http://www.maximonline.com/slideshow...ilm=7&src=jb40
Well, i guess that confirmes that the Bus can be a handful to handle during non normal conditions. :E
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3360/minibuseb9.jpg

[The Windsock]

The airline I work for provides this drivel for our passengers to read. Can't help but feel it doesn't necessarily encourage confidence in our operation. Does anyone else fear the sound coming from under the wing sounds horrifically like the sinister and worrying deployment of flaps and slats prior to a particularly risky and death defying take-off?
On a more serious note, well done to the crew.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

Do you really think it "sells papers".

er...yes, they do think that...

er...because it does sell papers.


Well I'm not so sure.... One of the reasons I havent bought a national newspaper for at least 10 years, is because I KNOW it will contain a load of made up garbage...... And I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks that.:ugh:

[SLFguy]

Chuffer...So you don't think sensationalst headlines increase sales? Seriously please just give me a simple 'No they don't' or a 'Yes they do'.

Please.

No seriously...simple Yes or No.

:rolleyes:

[Palyvestre]

And the day after EasyJet, the same again in Toulouse with G-TTOJ GB Airways !!

Anyone has more informations ??

French link
http://www.crash-aerien.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=12844#12844

[outofsynch]

Few Cloudy .... that is in fact all it was! A failure in the air supply, nothing to do with outflow. Just another of those dubious indications that cause so many 'emergencies'...:eek:

[Delta Wun-Wun]

"AIRCRAFT GEAR COLLAPSES ONLY 200FT ABOVE GROUND!!" Yesterday our aircraft landing gear collapsed into the gear bay after I moved the gear lever following take off. We were only 200ft above the ground. Do you think we will make the papers??:E:E
AND it only came back down again 4 miles before we landed!!:rolleyes:

[Nice flaps]

Phew Delta Wun-Wun, sounds like a close shave indeed. I hope your company give you the help and support you need to make it through what must be a difficult emotional time for you and your colleague ;)

[roll_over]

Why on earth would people be screaming and fearing for their lives?

I would have assumed the pilot would have notified the passengers, the kind of crap people come up with just baffles me.

[Selfloading]

"AIRCRAFT GEAR COLLAPSES ONLY 200FT ABOVE GROUND!!" Yesterday our aircraft landing gear collapsed into the gear bay after I moved the gear lever following take off. We were only 200ft above the ground. Do you think we will make the papers??:E:E
AND it only came back down again 4 miles before we landed!!:rolleyes:Rubbish, what actually happened, is you wrestled with the gear lever whilst screaming only feet above the ground, then you heroically managed to lower the landing wheels as you plunged towards the runway, where you crash landed your Boeing A380, come on admit it. :)

[frequentflyer2]

'wasn't on this flight obviously, but always impressed by the proffesionalism of flight crews such as yourselves in these situations'.

Just curious - how many times have you personally witnessed the professionalism of flight crews in these situations? Being 'always impressed' tends to suggest it's semi routine on flights you take.
Once again I'm a bit annoyed with some of the comments which seem to ridicule the passengers for being terrified by what happened.
I have no doubt the whole situation was handled in a totally professional manner and congratulate the crew.
However, the comments attributed to people on the flight probably do reflect the level of fear they experienced at the time.

[Sl4yer]

Absolutely. The briefing says something along the lines of "if the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling, pull one over your face and breathe normally". They don't mention that, due to decompression being likely cause of the masks dropping, that the pilots will carry out an emergency decent!

I'm sure I would realise what was happening, although I can't be sure I wouldn't feel a bit of panic first. But MOST of the passengers probably did think they were heading south to meet their maker!

I wonder how well the crew explained their actions and reassured the passengers once a safe altitude was reached?

And, just out of interest, does anybody know what percentage of flights experience an uncontrolled decompression?

[Gary Lager]

Some have mentioned giving information to the passengers (or not) in the early stages of the procedure; two points:

1) flight crew are exceptionally busy and quite frankly, have better things to do. Which is better, scared and alive or reassured but very soon dead? Of course all professional pilots take their responsibility of care to passengers seriously but that's not always a priority.

2) Has anyone tried given a real pax PA through a flight deck oxygen mask? How intelligible and reassuring do you think that would be?

[Rubes]

I love pprune, not only did the original report make me laugh but the comments here have me in stitches!!! Keep em' coming, pprune gets better and better shame journalism doesn't, but bad journalism= more laughs so who cares?!:}:}:}:D

[Doors to Automatic]

From the story:
"My girlfriend had heard a noise as if a drill wasn't connecting and a screw was loose coming from under the wing"
The noise is actually quite normal on the Airbus and was nothing to do with the emergency. I left a comment to this effect on the Mail's website but needless to say it didn't get included. Never let facts get in the way of a good story!

[cpart2]

"My girlfriend had heard a noise as if a drill wasn't connecting and a screw was loose coming from under the wing"

i laughed when i read this. what does a screw coming loose sound like? for god's sake!!!!:ugh:

[pilot999]

I was on an aircraft the other day when just after coming on to stand, both engines failed one after the other. the aircrraft along side had the same problem too. is that weird or just coincidence:)

[dash6]

No mate.Stay with the evening standard. Honestly,you will make more money,and serve the public good by promulgating the facts.(Trust me, I'm a pilot!):):)

[Few Cloudy]

Thanks for that Out of Sync.
Always good to learn the cause of these things.
Are you able to elaborate on here - failure both sides (MEL?) - rough time till mask deployment - switching etc.?
FC.

[old-timer]

Phew, thought it was just my bad luck but glad you guys seem to have the same problem too, when the engines stopped all my pax departed rapidly out of the exit in sheer terror & made a manic dash for the terminal, only minutes earlier we had been descending on the glideslope, whatever next,
how dangerous is that !! All in days life for us heroic 'fearless' chaps & chapesses's (how many s's ?)

have fun folks:D

[rottenlungs]

The scary thing is that there are three pages of frothing at the mouth about how bad the journalism is, and this is the same with every tabloid article that comes to the attention of Ppruners. The scoop does its job and you all read it
Regrettably therefore, I can only conclude that this kind of journalism does sell papers, or hits on websites in this digital age, even to hardened cynics..
I reckon we should steadfastly ignore this type of article..
Cheers
James

[jbsharpe]

Very humble SLF here...

My question is how rapid?steep is the emergency descent that ensues in an incident such as this? Is it noticeably out of the ordinary? Would it feel 'uncontrolled' to the average punter?

JBS

[waveydavey]

"An elderly woman was treated for an injury after tripping while leaving the plane"

They didn't even comment on the apparent increase in drug abuse by the elderly.....

[Gary Lager]

My question is how rapid?steep is the emergency descent that ensues in an incident such as this? Is it noticeably out of the ordinary? Would it feel 'uncontrolled' to the average punter?

An (example) 6000 ft per min rate of descent (not unreasonable during a rapid descent), combined with a high forward speed of (say) 420KTAS only gives a descent angle of 1 in 7. I'm sure there are hills in the UK that are steeper than that.

It may seem unusual to a regular traveller, but the aeroplane still stays right side up, and you have no perception of forward speed down the back so unlikely that it would feel 'uncontrolled', unless you happened to be asked leading questions by a Daily Mail reporter some hours after the event :rolleyes:.

[jbsharpe]

Thanks Gary.

I echo a previous poster who said it might be useful if the pax were aware that the rapid descent is normal procedure!

JBS

[Gary Lager]

I wouldn't really describe it as a 'normal' procedure - it's a specific manoeuvre, trained for and employed in certain circumstances.

It would be great if we knew that all pax had the level of interest and understanding of those who bother to seek out PPRuNe, however in reality this is not the case. Combine the difficulties and low priority of pax communication in a non-normal situation with the difficulty of explaining such events with clarity, brevity and honesty, whilst not alarming less aero-literate passengers, and you can see the problem.

My airline has a automatic PA announcement which comes on when the masks drop and explains what is happening and what to do - if passengers miss this as well as failing to listen to the pre-takeoff safety brief then I am afraid that no amount of PAs from the flight deck are likely to help.

[jbsharpe]

"normal procedure"... in those circumstances!

JBS

[moggiee]

"My girlfriend had heard a noise as if a drill wasn't connecting and a screw was loose coming from under the wing"

i laughed when i read this. what does a screw coming loose sound like? for god's sake!!!!:ugh:
I was wondering that myself!

Maybe the moronic journo who created this c.r.a.p has a screw loose and hears noises ----- "the voices told me to write rubbish!"

[moggiee]

"AIRCRAFT GEAR COLLAPSES ONLY 200FT ABOVE GROUND!!" Yesterday our aircraft landing gear collapsed into the gear bay after I moved the gear lever following take off. We were only 200ft above the ground. Do you think we will make the papers??:E:E
AND it only came back down again 4 miles before we landed!!:rolleyes:
Heroic stuff - next time you're passing, can you pop in an record an interview that I can use to show my MCC students how it should be done?

[Getoutofmygalley]

The easyJet aircraft involved in this would have played an automatic PA when the masks deployed, but if the passengers were screaming they probably didn't hear it, or just didn't pay attention to it.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_01/easyjet_228x310.jpg

And don't you just love the way the person in this picture travelling with the child took a photo. Personally I would have been more concerned about making sure my family were ok, taking a photo (to sell on to the media) would have been the last thing on my mind. :*

[Hoggtart]

a well handled event right up to the point one of the two trainers threw the wrong switch deploying the Rat and not the Pax oxygen.....oh well any one can make a mistake!

[Getoutofmygalley]

2 Trainers?

Are you sure there were 2 trainers onboard? Looking at the crew manifest there does not appear to have been 2 trainers. There were indeed 3 in the flight deck, but non were detailed as TRI or anything like that.

Do we actually know what happened though with this aircraft? I have read thru the whole of this thread and haven't actually seen what caused the problem. Was it a decompression or was it a problem with the outflow valve? :confused:

[Locarno]

An elderly woman was treated for an injury after tripping while leaving the plane

Thats my favourite line - thats actually a classic. I think I'll get that framed!

[everynowandthen]

A quick question for all you gnarly aviators who reckon the passengers were a bunch of hysterical idiots. If you were sitting amongst this apparently pathetic mob & this happened, would you happily sit there smiling heartily or would you think oh sh1t, why is this happening?

[Airbourne-Adamski]

I dont think in this thread we are takin the p*ss out of the pax as such, I think its more the way the typical Journ moron makes everest out of a mole hill.
Its always dramatised like a hollywood movie, they can take the time to get all the news from the pax and spice it up, but dont bother to equal the report with what 'really' happened and get more 'realistic' info from the airline.

I also do say though if half the pax LISTENED to saftey demos rather than gassing and reading and thinking yeah yeah whatever, the situation may not have been so scary as they would have known what to do straigh away.

[openfly]

Thanks guys, and guyesses, for 30 mins of laughter.
Some of the comments on this thread are pure aviation humour.
It is also funny to see some of the comments from our colleagues who have no sense of humour!!!
It was probably a job well done by the flight crew involved in the incident, and I bet they will read this thread and have a chuckle as well!

[ozpax]

Hi, I am the "terrified" passenger who took that photo, amongst others,. I'll tell you my version. (as I remember it)
I was traveling with my wife (a self confessed scaredypants flyer) our two children one aged 6 (boy in picture) and girl 7 (who was the "10" yrold treated for ear pain) my two sisters, one with husband and their kids, boy 18mths, boy 2yrs, boy 9 and boy 11, quite a party!
So alls well until seatbelt lights come on and PA (pilot I think) announces that we are about to experience some turbulence, shortly afterwards the plane starts to descend fairly rapidly, enough to start a murmer from the punters, cabin crew were called forward to the cockpit for quick meeting, about this time a noise started and the strange smell appeared, around 30 seconds later, pop go the oxy masks, the flight crew did look a little disturbed at this point, the only screams were from the babies who didn't like having the masks on at all and were putting up a major struggle, the response from the crew was "you must put them on" the babies mothers were obviously terrified, then the pilot explained that the cabin was depressurised and we were going to land in Toulouse.
The two older boys we were with were genuinely petrified, I got the camera out and told them we had better get some piccies or no-one would believe them at school, it seemed to cheer them up a bit, took some of my kids and the rest of the family (my 6 yr old was at one point sitting with mask on reading the emergency procedures card from the back of the seat!)
Finally landed in Toulouse and my daughter who suffers from ear pain on all flights was in obvious agony probably due to the rapid descent, the french medics on the runway insisted we visit the hospital, so we were whisked off the tarmac in a convoy of ambulances, took photos of that too (the other passenger who was treated had to have her eardrums pierced to relieve the pressure).
We were put in a taxi from the hospital back to the airport (must remember to claim fare back) where we were nearly arrested for being illegal immigrants as we had not cleared customs, had no boarding passes etc.
Finally made it to the departure lounge, to wait for the plane they were sending from London. It was here I started playing with the pictures to send some holiday spam to our friends. see attached (sent one to the easyjet CEO aswel, but have not heard back yet:))
Long story short a Daily Mail journo was on the flight, saw the images on my laptop and asked if the paper could have some, although I will hopefully be getting some beer money, I would have happily sent them anyway.

Sorry for the long post.
http://www.cannonball.com.au/easy.jpg

[gchriste]

A bit off topic I am sorry but...

Takes things like this for pax to realise that we don't just stand
there for the fun of it still baffles me.

I was on an Air NZ flight recently and they just stand there while it all plays on the little TVs. They don't put on the oxy masks, don't show the emergency lighting etc.

I thought this just looks strange, why even have them stand there then. There is something strangely satisfying about seeing them go through the motions, even if ones head is usually down in the in-flight magazine.

[toratoratora]

Actual problem was dual engine bleed failure caused by overtemp(possibly faulty sensors). Happened to me recently aswell, although in our case the cabin didn't start climbing and we were able to do a precautionary descent and complete the flight on the APU bleed ( we were inbound destination anyway).

[fyrefli]

It would be great if we knew that all pax had the level of interest and understanding of those who bother to seek out PPRuNe, however in reality this is not the case. Combine the difficulties and low priority of pax communication in a non-normal situation with the difficulty of explaining such events with clarity, brevity and honesty, whilst not alarming less aero-literate passengers, and you can see the problem.
I can't tbh. I don't see that it would hurt to append "If there is a failure in the oxygen supply, masks will drop from the panel above you. Pull a mask towards you, place it over your mouth and nose and breathe normally. Remember to fit your own mask before helping others." with "You may at the same time notice the aircraft descending rapidly to an altitude where the masks are no longer necessary." or some such. Might even make people shut up and take notice a bit more. Yeah, okay, "oink, oink, flap" on the latter but I still don't see it would hurt :)

[outofsynch]

An emergency descent isnt anywhere near as steep as most people imagine! It is in fact very little more than a lot of aircraft do, at ATC request, with speedbrakes out. If the masks didnt drop, I bet most passengers wouldnt even recognise the emergency.

[Airbourne-Adamski]

ozpax

I found your reply interesting and probably a "proper acount" of what happened compared to what the Journo's had been printing.

Just to hopefully answer one of your points.

about this time a noise started and the strange smell appeared, around 30 seconds later, pop go the oxy masks

That will most likely will have been they start of the small oxygen generators starting for your masks which then produce a funny smell.

Question is.. Wwill you be flying with our wonderfull airline again? and how did you find they crew

[ILoadMyself]

I love you guys. Keep up the sterling work!:)

[fmgc]

a well handled event right up to the point one of the two trainers threw the wrong switch deploying the Rat and not the Pax oxygen.....oh well any one can make a mistake!

Bloody easily done that!!

[cwatters]

Personally I blame Hollywood. Thanks to them everyone 'knows' that just before a plane crashes the oxygen masks are deployed. Some were probably surprised no sparks fell from the ceiling at the same moment. Then again others are comforted by the fact that if the crew are all incapacitated International Rescue can allways lower another pilot on board using a long rope.

[Final 3 Greens]

Not just International Rescue either - Charlton Heston was winched from a helo into the flight deck of a 74' in Airport 1975.

So if the Hood has hypnotised the boys, El Cid will do the job.

Makes me feel so much better :ok:

[SLFguy]

ozpax,
Cheers for your post. I do like the camera tilt in the pic of your boy to give it added 'plunge' perception... :)

Hope the kids are ok now and that they have revelled in the recounting of 'the flight of death' to their school mates..:}


Phew..just saved a 'they're' for 'their' moment.

[cherrycoke]

oxpax,

hope you read this and it finds you well. I must admit I was a little outraged at the photo published in the media, but having read your story now find myself humbled. Thanks for taking the time to write about your experience on here. Unfortunately, Easyjet doesn't feel the need to communicate officially with us mere employees of them about such events, my friends crewed that flight but I get the impression they were told not to talk about it, so thankyou for shedding light on the cabin situation, and may I congratulate you for not freaking out. I hope it hasn't put you off using us again.

[Few Cloudy]

So there we have it:

The noise of a "screw coming undone", which made everyone smile, had a reason - RAT deployment is a very noisy thing.

The strange smell was the heating up of the oxygen generators.

The crew "meeting" in the cockpit was the emergency brief.

Ozpax seems to give a level headed account.

These days as soon as anything gets a bit abnormal, people reach for personal phones and telephone out (which actually saved the White House in the Let´s Roll crash a couple of years back...) so I suppose taking photos, although OTT is understandable.

We are as good as our information. Thanks for it.

FC.