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Check out these different articles, covering the same story
Ryanair plane loses pressure, 16 in French hospital
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsN ... 826?rpc=44
Mid-air panic as plane plunges 26,000 feet
Passengers expected to 'meet their maker' as jet depressurizes over France
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26401559/
As long as there were no structural damage to the aircraft, no one was in any immediate danger as long as they put their oxygen masks on in a timely fashion.
A rapid decompression is a lot better to have than a slow decompression. At least you know you have a decompression situation and can take appropriate action.
Sounds like they were cruising around 36,000 feet, rapid D occurred and they descended to the "standard" altitude anytime you lose cabin pressure (~10,000 feet).
While their descent rate was certainly steeper than normal (just over 5,000 feet/min), I'm sure it was in no way threatening to the aircraft of the people on board the aircraft.
Sounds like a case of the media blowing things out of proportion again....
Well, a descent rate of 5,000+ FPM will probably give you something in the neighborhood of 10-15 degrees nose down. So you're sitting in the back enjoying a soft drink, and you suddenly lose cabin pressure - the masks drop down, maybe the temperature drops or things blow around the cabin, and the the airplane points at the ground at 3 to 4 times what you have experienced on other flights. If they popped the spoilers, you get some buffeting to go along with all the rest. That would sure get my attention!
I've made a couple of steep descents in the KC-135 - I remember one time returning to Grissom, we stayed up at altitude until we were close in, then went "idle & boards" slowing and descending at the same time, and ended up close to 10 degrees nose low. I felt like I was going to fall out the front of the aircraft if I didn't have my belt & harness on :shock:
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Originally Posted by moose135
I agree... I can't imagine being in such a situation not knowing what was going, I would surely feel like death just a few minutes away.
Such a maneuver by the pilots may have ended up saving a life or two though....