Experience of Emergency measures

[Pushka]

Hiving off from the thread about the emergency measures put into place for the recent Adelaide - Canberra flight, where oxygen masks were used and altitude reduced to 10,000 feet, got me to thinking (stealing a Carrie Bradshaw line there ) as to how many of us have been travelling and required the use of oxygen or use, the emergency slides. Or anything even remotely troubling. I don’t think I’ve read of any first hand experience here on AFF.

The closest I’ve come is a few aborted touchdowns usually because of unexpected heavy flood on the tarmac, plus a very fast turbulent flight from Adelaide to Melbourne as a cold front swept through. Turbulence over Europe but just enough for the seat belt sign to come on. So a nothing from me.

So over to AFF, scary experiences onboard? I guess we could also think of passengers requiring restraint or generally badly behaved.

 

[Mogul]

Closet I've been is a cracked windscreen on VA 330.

Knew someone wasn't right as we began descending over The Great Australian Bight. Pilot came on PA and said we had a cracked windscreen and had descended to 10,000 feet, diverting to Melbourne. Air crew were running up and down the isle's preparing the aircraft for the oxygen masks to drop. Seat belt sign stayed on for the rest the flight.

 

[opusman]

Worst was two go-arounds and then a divert to SYD on an EK flight from AKL-MEL. The worst thing about that was, the cabin service had ended due to the expected arrival in Melbourne and so there were no bubbles for the MEL-SYD-MEL flights (and no SCs either)

Other than that, I was on a crusty old QF 734 that had the emergency recording accidentally trigger twice while taxiing. Boy it is is loud - definitely gets your attention. There was also a coughroach on the window next to me, not QF's finest hour.

 

[Ewing]

The worst flight I had was a really rough approach into CNS. A number of the overhead bins opened and the passenger in front of me copped a laptop to the head but he was fortunately ok.

Beyond that I've had plenty of go-arounds (my favourites were in an MD80 and a 767) and had the tow bar snap during pushback once which knocked a few of the cabin crew over while they were doing the safety demonstration - but otherwise my flights have been non-eventful (excluding medical emergencies).

Other than that, I was on a crusty old QF 734 that had the emergency recording accidentally trigger twice while taxiing. Boy it is is loud - definitely gets your attention.

Oh yes, I'd completely forgotten about that. Have also experienced that recording!

I certainly do not miss those 734s although watching the cabin crew try to do a hot meal service for 20 J pax on SYD-CBR was always amusing.

 

[Pushka]

Worst was two go-arounds and then a divert to SYD on an EK flight from AKL-MEL. The worst thing about that was, the cabin service had ended due to the expected arrival in Melbourne and so there were no bubbles for the MEL-SYD-MEL flights (and no SCs either)

Other than that, I was on a crusty old QF 734 that had the emergency recording accidentally trigger twice while taxiing. Boy it is is loud - definitely gets your attention. There was also a coughroach on the window next to me, not QF's finest hour.

Sacre Bleu! On all counts!

If something is going wrong it’s a fine line between making sure the flight crew are managing the situation and concentrating on that versus reassuring to avoid the potential panic of passengers. I wonder if the flight crew are all busy if that reassurance then falls on to the cabin crew to take over the announcements or updates on what is happening.

 

[Pushka]

The worst flight I had was a really rough approach into CNS. A number of the overhead bins opened and the passenger in front of me copped a laptop to the head but he was fortunately ok.

Beyond that I've had plenty of go-arounds (my favourites were in an MD80 and a 767) and had the tow bar snap during pushback once which knocked a few of the cabin crew over while they were doing the safety demonstration - but otherwise my flights have been non-eventful (excluding medical emergencies).



Oh yes, I'd completely forgotten about that. Have also experienced that recording!

I certainly do not miss those 734s although watching the cabin crew try to do a hot meal service for 20 J pax on SYD-CBR was always amusing.

Medical emergencies - yes, another issue we don’t really hear much about on AFF. I must say I look at the advanced age of some passengers and wonder if this will be the flight where someone passes away....

 

[drron]

I remember one report on AFF of an AFFer having to use the slides-and posted pics so it really happened!

Our worst was sitting in 1A,C of a JAL 767 BNE-NRT and trying to land in NRT during a typhoon.Luckily got down on the third attempt.Didn't help having a TV screen in front of us with the nose cam display.

 

[eric2011]

2 go arounds trying to land at RAR at about 1.00am in the morning on a ANZ 737 during a cyclone. From what I can recall this was the last attempt before .......

 

[OZDUCK]

Not an emergency but I have seen some oxygen masks deployed. Flying on a British Caledonian DC8 (I think) Singapore to Gatwick via Karachi in in 1976.

On takeoff from Paya Lebar there was a bit of a bump on rotation and a couple of panels sprung open and the masks inside dropped down. For a few seconds everyone around was looking for theirs before we all realised that we were basically at sea level. The FA's came down later - in their tartan mini-skirts - and repacked them. When the same thing happened on take-off from Karachi there were just cheers.

 

[Pushka]

I’m not sure I’d do well if the masks came down. Maybe because every plane drama film, the masks come down. So it’s a precursor in all those movies. As far as the slide goes, knowing me I’d end up coming down head first or landing straight on my behind creating more havoc than needed.

 

[Berlin]

Given how I started to panic just in some simple go arounds, I would definitely need a washing machine afterwards if those masks ever came out. True to my German heritage, I always expect the worst in any situation (my dad's life motto is 'If you always expect the worst, you only get nice surprises' which is the exact opposite of the Anglo-saxon happy clappy 'positive thinking' stuff and it definitely has worn off) and the airplane is no different.

But in general, the more you fly, the less nervous you get in my experience. As a teenager, on my first flights, I was always super anxious and these old DC-9s didn't help back then. Then I lived in Singapore for many years and since then any of the usual weather rumblings and turbulence just don't bother me at all anymore. There is ALWAYS turbulence in South East Asia so meh.

 

[Pushka]

Given how I started to panic just in some simple go arounds, I would definitely need a washing machine afterwards if those masks ever came out. True to my German heritage, I always expect the worst in any situation (my dad's life motto is 'If you always expect the worst, you only get nice surprises' which is the exact opposite of the Anglo-saxon happy clappy 'positive thinking' stuff and it definitely has worn off) and the airplane is no different.

But in general, the more you fly, the less nervous you get in my experience. As a teenager, on my first flights, I was always super anxious and these old DC-9s didn't help back then. Then I lived in Singapore for many years and since then any of the usual weather rumblings and turbulence just don't bother me at all anymore. There is ALWAYS turbulence in South East Asia so meh.

But even neurotics are correct occasionally which then reinforces their thinking!

 

[Himeno]

Most I've had has been a couple of go arounds, a weather diversion and many altitude changes due to turbulence. No mask deployments or slides.

Had a couple of departures from NRT through the edges of typhoons.

 

[Captain Halliday]

1. I had three go arounds at MKY during a cyclone at night.

It was in a B717 and before my AFF days so I was in the last row.

I couldn’t see outside which didn’t help. But the engines were right near my ears so the spoiling up and down gave me some clues as to what was going on.

I’m sure the crew had everything in hand, but I did feel slightly apprehensive after the second failed attempt.

2. Emergency landing in an AS350B after a tail rotor chip alert.

@straitman can probably explain better than me but the main concern was the possibility of losing the tail rotor as a counter to the main rotor. That would have been bad.

The QRH/ memory item called for “in the event of a TRGB chip light: Land as soon as practicable.”

Naturally there were trees and hills everywhere.

Also, the pilot wasn’t confident of maintaining control in a hover. So he wanted a runway, or something like a runway.

Eventually we got down to around 10 feet and approx 60 knots then dropped it straight down for for a running landing. Just like this:

 

[OZDUCK]

1. I had three go arounds at MKY during a cyclone at night.

It was in a B717 and before my AFF days so I was in the last row.

I couldn’t see outside which didn’t help. But the engines were right near my ears so the spoiling up and down gave me some clues as to what was going on.

I’m sure the crew had everything in hand, but I did feel slightly apprehensive after the second failed attempt.

2. Emergency landing in an AS350B after a tail rotor chip alert.

@serfty can probably explain better than me but the main concern was the possibility of losing the tail rotor as a counter to the main rotor. That would have been bad.

The QRH/ memory item called for “in the event of a TRGB chip light: Land as soon as practicable.”

Naturally there were trees and hills everywhere.

Also, the pilot wasn’t confident of maintaining control in a hover. So he wanted a runway, or something like a runway.

Eventually we got down to around 10 feet and approx 60 knots then dropped it straight down for for a running landing. Just like this:

Well you are certainly welcome to that! I have a definite fear of helicopters - my wife flew over Niagara Falls without me - so I would have been very panicky until the landing.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Well you are certainly welcome to that! I have a definite fear of helicopters - my wife flew over Niagara Falls without me - so I would have been very panicky until the landing.

I found the cyclone go arounds worse than the helicopter incident.

One was in darkness, bad weather and I had no visibility due to the engines. I basically had zero situational awareness.

In the chopper it was daylight, good weather and I had 100% confidence in the pilot!

 

[serfty]

rotor chip alert.

@serfty can probably explain better than me but the main concern was the possibility of losing the tail rotor as a counter to the main rotor. That would have been bad

Maybe @straitman ...

In my 1800+ flights it has been pretty boring.

Turbulance preparing to land at CBR from the south forced us to hold onto our drinks.

Oh, yes - wake turbulance between DFW and SEA thew the aircradt one way and then a few seconds later the aircraft was tossed the other way.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Maybe @straitman ...

Any moderator starting with S will do.

Sorry @serfty and @straitman. I blame 3:30am start and a two sector day!

 

[OZDUCK]

I found the cyclone go arounds worse than the helicopter incident.

One was in darkness, bad weather and I had no visibility due to the engines. I basically had zero situational awareness.

In the chopper it was daylight, good weather and I had 100% confidence in the pilot!

Yes darkness and bad weather combined do seem to make it worse.

Probably the most nervous I have been on a flight was on the British Caledonian one I mentioned earlier. We were over the Bay of Bengal and flew through a monsoon storm overnight. The severe turbulence lasted for over an hour with much shaking and lurching plus sudden 'drops' which certainly made the cabin quiet - except for the occasional exclamations. I am not even sure if aircraft had effective - or any - weather radar in those days. After all the bashing around we got to land at Karachi Airport, with the dirtiest, most rundown terminal I have ever experienced. And it was my second flight ever.

 

[zig]

Experienced a bomb threat in the early 80's, and a couple of go arounds, but other than that nothing major - thank goodness