Best practice to handle a rapid descent ?
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Best practice to handle a rapid descent ?
Just heard a 737 on en-route calling "abc123 emergency descent FL100" . . . . . cue Casablanca control " saeey again " ?
Repeated 2nd time, then they got it. If you HAVE to descend, wouldn't "Mayday" (or in certain enlightened parts of Europe "Pan" ) be more appropriate ?
If the problem isn't that urgent, perhaps a request would be best rather than a statement.
On reaching FL100 ,slightly disturbingly, the RT sounded exactly the same (normal) so, I wonder, did they use masks ? & if not, was the problem so immediate to warrant blasting through all levels without perhaps checking with ATC 1st ? if it was that urgent, shouldn't I have been hearing tell-tale sounds of o2 in the background.
Telling ATC you are diverting to Faro & then quoting the 4 letter code of Lisboa is excusable, as is describing your problem as being with 2 packs (think Monsieur Casa was imagining 2 pax
) rather than using the word "pressurisation" but, I do wonder at the rationale of making an emergency descent without request, with no "Distress call" & (possibly ) no masks. . . . of course I wasn't there. . . . but close enough to wonder.
Repeated 2nd time, then they got it. If you HAVE to descend, wouldn't "Mayday" (or in certain enlightened parts of Europe "Pan" ) be more appropriate ?
If the problem isn't that urgent, perhaps a request would be best rather than a statement.
On reaching FL100 ,slightly disturbingly, the RT sounded exactly the same (normal) so, I wonder, did they use masks ? & if not, was the problem so immediate to warrant blasting through all levels without perhaps checking with ATC 1st ? if it was that urgent, shouldn't I have been hearing tell-tale sounds of o2 in the background.
Telling ATC you are diverting to Faro & then quoting the 4 letter code of Lisboa is excusable, as is describing your problem as being with 2 packs (think Monsieur Casa was imagining 2 pax
) rather than using the word "pressurisation" but, I do wonder at the rationale of making an emergency descent without request, with no "Distress call" & (possibly ) no masks. . . . of course I wasn't there. . . . but close enough to wonder.
Last edited by captplaystation; 9th Mar 2015 at 11:52.
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I agree. Definitely Mayday, rather than Pan. In fact this situation pretty much defines the difference, that immediate assistance is required (this being the getting out of the way of any conflicting traffic).
Plus, as Playstation points out, Pan doesn't mean much in some parts of the world.
Plus, as Playstation points out, Pan doesn't mean much in some parts of the world.
Spot on, you're not asking for a clearance to do an emergency descent, you're already doing it. The 7700 will get you visible on radar screens and encourage the controller to keep people out of your way!
