Passengers shriek and sob as plane plummets
Join Date: May 2011
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Whenever I read of an incident on a plane - whether a plummet, a drop, a passenger panic or whatever - followed by the inevitable airline spokesman (who wasn't there) shrugging it off as a momentary malfunction exaggerated by the press, further followed by know-alls (who also weren't there - but you've just posted, so you will know who you all are) similarly sneering at the reports, my mind goes back to the time I was a pax on a BA flight NY-LHR.
Over the Atlantic the cabin was filled with klaxons and a shouty recorded voice telling us to prepare to land on water and to adopt the brace position. The passengers not unreasonably did their fair share of screaming; two of the cabin crew, a man and a woman, raced up and down the aisle yelling 'We're going to die'. Far from offering comfort to pax, one of them, the lady, defecated herself.
After what seemed like ages, but was probably no more than ten seconds, the alarm was switched off and the captain came on to explain that it had been activated by a malfunction. Free drinks all round.
When the plane landed, we were met by a lot of BA staff who shepherded us through some back corridors. Our bags were delivered to a lounge and we were escorted out of the terminal, away from other passengers and the press. We were told BA would be in touch with us to compensate for our experience
Next day, in spite of BA's efforts to hush it up, the story appeared in several papers. Exactly as it had happened. I could not fault the accuracy of the reports. But it was firmly denied by BA that there had been any panic on board. The shouty warning had hardly gone off, it was claimed, before it was shut down. The cabin crew remained in full control at all times. The passengers knew different. A few days later came a letter of apology from BA, some chocolates, wine, and air miles.
So when I read the 'official' account, according to the airline, of similar incidents, far from blaming the messenger - the press - as so many of you are so quick to do, thereby playing into the errant airline's hands, I prefer to weigh up my own experience of what happened to me.
Over the Atlantic the cabin was filled with klaxons and a shouty recorded voice telling us to prepare to land on water and to adopt the brace position. The passengers not unreasonably did their fair share of screaming; two of the cabin crew, a man and a woman, raced up and down the aisle yelling 'We're going to die'. Far from offering comfort to pax, one of them, the lady, defecated herself.
After what seemed like ages, but was probably no more than ten seconds, the alarm was switched off and the captain came on to explain that it had been activated by a malfunction. Free drinks all round.
When the plane landed, we were met by a lot of BA staff who shepherded us through some back corridors. Our bags were delivered to a lounge and we were escorted out of the terminal, away from other passengers and the press. We were told BA would be in touch with us to compensate for our experience
Next day, in spite of BA's efforts to hush it up, the story appeared in several papers. Exactly as it had happened. I could not fault the accuracy of the reports. But it was firmly denied by BA that there had been any panic on board. The shouty warning had hardly gone off, it was claimed, before it was shut down. The cabin crew remained in full control at all times. The passengers knew different. A few days later came a letter of apology from BA, some chocolates, wine, and air miles.
So when I read the 'official' account, according to the airline, of similar incidents, far from blaming the messenger - the press - as so many of you are so quick to do, thereby playing into the errant airline's hands, I prefer to weigh up my own experience of what happened to me.
Kind of a shame in a way that the incident referred to in the initial post occurred because of an actual engine failure, thus depriving the media of the chance, in their "reporting", of being able to work a reference to the much-feared "air pocket" into the story . . .
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Surely something has been overlooked. One passenger was quoted as saying that the aircraft "straightened up" from the plummet.
So was this a plummet, or something else altogether? If it was a plummet it should have been unplummetted and not straightened up.
Perhaps the passengers should think themselves lucky that they aren't still up there, plummetting.
So was this a plummet, or something else altogether? If it was a plummet it should have been unplummetted and not straightened up.
Perhaps the passengers should think themselves lucky that they aren't still up there, plummetting.
Terminology?
"The pilot came on and said, `We've lost the right engine ....'."
Passengers push call buttons to alert the cabin crew that the engine is still on the wing, where its been all along.
Passengers push call buttons to alert the cabin crew that the engine is still on the wing, where its been all along.
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Plummets
Ladies and gentlemen, you have made my day - I haven't had such a good laugh for a long time. I always reckoned that "Plummet and Soar' would be a good name for an Estate Agent (Realtor) bearing in mind the way house prices vary.
