A loss of pressure in a Boeing aircraft causes panic and injuries. The pilots of the 737 Max 8 aircraft have to descend over 8,000 meters in 15 minutes.
It is every passenger’s nightmare: suddenly the oxygen masks fall from the ceiling and the nose of the plane drops. The Daily Mail reports on a Korean Air flight where a sudden drop in pressure caused panic in the cabin.
Although the pilots reacted correctly, 17 people required medical attention after the maneuver, including due to earache and hyperventilation. An “emergency descent” prevented anything worse and the plane was able to land safely.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 had taken off from Incheon International Airport in South Korea and was on its way to Taichung International Airport in Taiwan when a loss of pressure was detected over the South Korean island of Jeju 30 minutes after takeoff. According to the Daily Mail, Korean Air has assured that it is fully cooperating with the investigation and taking care of the passengers. The airline has apologized to everyone affected by the incident.
As a result, the pilots had to initiate a steep descent to reach an altitude where there was enough oxygen to breathe. Although the crew and passengers have oxygen masks available in such a case, every second counts in the event of a sudden drop in pressure in the cabin. The threatening danger is illustrated by the gruesome story of Helios Flight 522. In the disaster in 2005, the pilots lost consciousness due to a lack of oxygen and the plane crashed pilotless after flying for hours. All 121 people on board died.
The analysis of the flight data, an autopsy of the victims and the statements of the pilots of fighter jets who took off after contact with the aircraft was lost proved the cause of the accident: hypoxia. Today we know that people only have about 15 seconds to act in such circumstances. After this so-called “time of useful consciousness”, the brain is no longer able to make sensible decisions.
Because the emergency of a sudden loss of pressure in the cabin is extremely time-critical, it is practiced again and again. Passengers should also take the warning seriously and put on the oxygen mask first for themselves and then for those in need of assistance. Problems with the cabin pressure occur again and again. Just on Monday, a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 had to fly an “emergency descent”. It is not known whether anyone was injured.
Meanwhile, the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is introducing an “additional safety net” for such cases. In a press release, the company announced its “Automatic Emergency Descent” (AED) function. The aircraft can fly the life-saving maneuver independently after just a few simple steps. The company hopes that this will increase safety by reducing the workload for the pilots.
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