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Budget Airline in Row Over Oxygen Masks
August 26, 2008 11:43 AM
By Stephen Webb, ABC News London
Europe’s largest budget airline, Ryanair, is denying claims that oxygen masks apparently failed to work during an emergency landing.
The flight - from Bristol, England to Barcelona, Spain - lost cabin pressure and plummeted 26,400 feet through the air above France at 11:30 p.m. local time Monday. Passengers today spoke about how they believed they were going to die.
A British medical student even sent a text to her mom saying, “I love you and I am going down," according to the AFP news agency.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was diverted to Limoges airport in central France. Sixteen people were taken to the hospital, but all 168 passengers survived and the plane landed safely, according to Ryanair.
British arctic explorer Pen Hadow and his wife and two children were onboard the troubled aircraft. The U.K newspaper the Telegraph reported that Hadow said a number of oxygen masks inside the cabin failed to work properly.
“The next thing the oxygen masks were dropping. My highest priority was to get a mask onto my son who was sitting next to me in a bemused and frightened state. Mine wasn't filling up with oxygen and neither was my son's. He was hyperventilating. I looked at the lady on my left and hers hadn't filled up either. From where I was sitting I could see about 20 masks and only a few of them were inflating,” said Hadow.
However, Ryanair denied that the oxygen masks were not working. In a statement, the low-cost airline said , “Ryanair’s engineers have inspected the aircraft overnight and have confirmed that the oxygen masks which deployed were working properly.”
Andrew Davies from Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, told ABC News.com that it is very unlikely that there was any problem with the flow of oxygen.
“Speaking very generally,” he said, “the bag sometimes doesn’t inflate, but oxygen flow is still there. It all depends on the air pressure in the cabin.”
Charlotte Thorthon, a British medical student traveling on the plane, criticized the crew for not making an announcement after the plane got into difficulty.
"For about half an hour no one told us anything, we didn't know what was happening at all. We were quite panicky," said Thorthon. "After half an hour we were told to take the oxygen masks off, and then the plane landed and we were fine, " said Thorthon to AFP news agency.
Ryanair said an announcement was not made immediately because of safety regulations.
Andrew Davies from Boeing told ABCNews.com that this was nothing out of the ordinary.
“The priority is always to get oxygen masks on the crew so they land the aircraft quickly. It’s the correct action for the overall safety of the plane.” He said.
The Irish and French Aviation Authorities have begun a full investigation of the incident.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
August 26, 2008 in Stephen Webb | Permalink | User Comments (8)
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He may be an Arctic explorer but he isn't a good listener. Flight attendants always tell you: (1) the bag may NOT fill up (or puff out). BTW, the oxygen masks used by EMTs don't either. (2) put YOUR mask on first, THEN the child's.
Posted by: Tony | Aug 26, 2008 2:05:40 PM
Next it will be bring your own OX mask or you can rent one for $29.95.
Maybe I should not give the airlines any ideas?
Posted by: bubbabear200 | Aug 26, 2008 4:11:50 PM
Any person who flies and listens to the safety spill at the beginning of the flight at least once would know that this is one of the things they address: the bag may not fill up but oxygen is flowing to the mask. You'd think that the media would address that instead of spreading panic & making this airline's stock price fall.
Posted by: cd1785 | Aug 26, 2008 4:57:02 PM
Seems to me the crew did exactly what they're supposed to do. Of course the passengers were scared but their comfort level was not a priority in this situation. The plane didn't plummet out of control, it simply made a rapid decent to a safer altitude and then landed.
Posted by: davexc | Aug 26, 2008 5:15:02 PM
Wow, it makes the news that some arctic explorer didn't listen to the safety announcement nor the read the safety card. And apparently the "reporter" has never flown either, or just forgot.
Posted by: Joseph Elwell | Aug 26, 2008 7:44:25 PM
"Um....the bag may not inflate???"
Some passengers obviously were not listening to their emergency demo...not that they EVER do. And of course when something like this happens it automatically is the fault of the crew, airline or plane.
Posted by: Monique | Aug 26, 2008 8:15:02 PM
Remember that these RyanAir flights sell for about $10 each. You get what you pay for....
Posted by: Doc Savage | Aug 27, 2008 3:51:14 AM
Some of the above comments frighten an surprise me.
Do we really live in an age were we think it's OK to leave people totally in the dark? I hope not - I really do.
And what's the big deal if that British explorer made news! somebody had to, and he had been threw a horrific ordeal ( as did the other passengers).
I think if you'd been through that kind of experience with your loved ones, you' be shouting to.
It's a basic human instinct - called survival. So a explorer would in my opinion want to have a rant- to let of steam.
It's rather ironic that people who think that Pen shouldn't have been given the oxygen ( no pun intended) of publicity are aiding him too! By posting blogs of this nature.
He's a human with emotions an feelings and has just as much right to complain as you.
Come on folks, this is not about you
Posted by: Laura | Aug 28, 2008 5:25:02 PM
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