Southwest Passenger: It Was ‘Kind of Bizarrely Calm’
- Posted on April 2, 2011 at 10:12am by
Scott Baker
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Editor’s note: This is an update to this earlier story.
PHOENIX (AP) – A “gunshot-like sound” woke Brenda Reese as her Southwest Airlines flight cruised at 36,000 feet. Looking up, she could see the sky through a hole torn in the cabin roof.
The Boeing 737 lost cabin pressure after the hole developed Friday, prompting frightened passengers to grope for oxygen masks as the plane made a terrifying but “controlled descent.”
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A passenger called it “pandemonium.” Another watched as a flight attendant and another passenger passed out, apparently for lack of oxygen, their heads striking the seats in front of them.
Officials said Flight 812 lost pressure because of a fuselage rupture. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot made a “controlled descent from 36,000 feet to 11,000 feet altitude.”
His safe emergency landing at a military base in Yuma, about 150 miles southwest of Phoenix, drew applause from relieved passengers.
No serious injuries were reported among the 118 people aboard but a flight attendant was slightly hurt, according to Southwest Airlines. The cause of the hole was not immediately known. The FBI called it a “mechanical failure,” not an act of terror or other foul play.
Reese said the plane had just left Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for Sacramento, Calif., when the “gunshot-like sound” woke her up. She said oxygen masks dropped as the plane dove.
Seated one row from the rupture, Don Nelson said it took about four noisy minutes for the plane to dip to less than 10,000 feet. “You could tell there was an oxygen deficiency,” he said.
“People were dropping,” said Christine Ziegler, a 44-year-old project manager from Sacramento who watched as the crew member and a passenger nearby faint. Nelson and Ziegler spoke after a substitute flight took them on to Sacramento.
Reese described the hole as “at the top of the plane, right up above where you store your luggage.”
“The panel’s not completely off,” she told The Associated Press. “It’s like ripped down, but you can see completely outside… When you look up through the panel, you can see the sky.”
Cellphone photographs provided by Reese showed a panel hanging open in a section above the plane’s middle aisle, with a hole of about six feet long.
The National Transportation Safety Board said an “in-flight fuselage rupture” led to the drop in cabin pressure aboard the 15-year-old plane. A similar incident on a Southwest plane to Baltimore in July 2009 also forced an emergency landing when a foot-long hole opened in the cabin.
Four months earlier, the Dallas-based airline had agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle charges that it operated planes that had missed required safety inspections for cracks in the fuselage. The airline, which flies Boeing 737s, inspected nearly 200 of its planes back then, found no cracks and put them back in the sky.
Julie O’Donnell, an aviation safety spokeswoman for Seattle-based Boeing Commercial Airplanes, confirmed “a hole in the fuselage and a depressurization event” in the latest incident but declined to speculate on what caused it.
Reese said passengers applauded the pilot after he emerged from the cockpit following the emergency landing at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station/International Airport.
“It was unreal. Everybody was like they were high school chums,” Ziegler said, describing a scene in which passengers comforted and hugged each other after the plane was on the ground.
“I fly a lot. This is the first time I ever had something like this happen,” said Reese, a 37-year-old single mother of three who is vice president for a clinical research organization. “I just want to get home and hold my kids.”
Gregor said an FAA inspector from Phoenix was en route to Yuma. The NTSB said it also was sending a crew to Yuma.
Holes in aircraft can be caused by metal fatigue or lightning. The National Weather Service said the weather was clear from the Phoenix area to the California border on Friday afternoon.
In 1988, cracks caused part of the roof of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 to peel open while the jet flew from Hilo to Honolulu. A flight attendant was sucked out of the plane and plunged to her death, and dozens of passengers were injured.
Three years ago, an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a gaping hole the fuselage of a Qantas Boeing 747-438 carrying 365 people. The plane descended thousands of feet with the loss of cabin pressure and flew about 300 miles to Manila, where it made a successful emergency landing. No one was injured.
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Comments (46)
sadmanwhossane
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:53pmif man were meant to fly, he’d of been born with wings.
Report Post »corbecket
Posted on April 3, 2011 at 1:08am“if man were meant to fly, he’d of been born with wings.”
I’ll bet you drive around in a car, but you don’t have wheels. ;-)
Report Post »awiderview
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 6:52pmSo private industry can screw up too? Do we need more regulation? Where do you stand?
Report Post »docvet
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 5:45pmWhat bothered me in the story was that people were passing out due to low O2. How hard is it to strap an oxygen mask on the person next to you if they don’t have one on. Yup, just watch them pass out. Also, don’t the flight attendants have portable oxygen masks to use while they are helping the passengers? Why were they passing out?
Report Post »jt8d219
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:56pmWell, further investigation is always appropriate, but personally I would expect a failure like that to be quite loud. I am an aircraft mechanic, and the writer of this article is either showing restraint or not realizing the significance of the fact that Southwest was fined for not completing fuselage inspections. This is their second rupture of this nature…on fairly new aircraft. When the proper inspections ARE completed, this kind of failure practically never happens on even much older aircraft. Fatigue in an aluminum airframe is simply a reality of flight. Cracks always form…its a matter of time…but they can be readily repaired and made completely safe. I wouldn’t be surprised if Southwest gets another fine as an eventual result of this.
Report Post »obama_binpharteen
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:21pmMIKENLEEDS
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:30pm
a gun shot like sound does nt sound like a mechanical failure ,,, i hope the blind liberal media actually looks into this a little further
_________________________________________________
I was just on a long walk and thinking the same thing, could this have possibly been caused by a small explosive? With all the terrorism attempts, one has to ask..
Report Post »WHITE LOTUS2x
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:49pmI saw on tva year or so ag, probably Fox, that American airlines is the only one that has its fleet seviced in the US.
Report Post »WHITE LOTUS2x
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:43pmFor the last several years Southwest and United are the only ones I`v used. Always had a nice smooth ride on both and leg room too. Will still use Southwest, surely thet are going to see that doesnt happen again. Once on Legionair. Never again, didnt know they were hooked up with Delta and Northwest. Those will give you a heart attack. Wouldnt recommend them to anyone. Lotus.
Report Post »corbecket
Posted on April 3, 2011 at 1:25am“Will still use Southwest, surely thet are going to see that doesnt happen again.”
Well, good luck on that. I think what complicates giving Southwest a pass is that they just got a whopper of a fine from the FAA for sloppy maintenance involving the very problem that this aircraft exhibited.
Lesee’… sloppy maintenance results in big FAA fine, then a section of the top skin of the fuselage starts to depart the airframe. I choose to believe that this sequence of events is more than coincidental. Sure, I might fly SW, but it won’t be for awhile. The FAA/politicians need time to get SW’s inspection program back in line with the rest of the industry. I figure the probability of this is better than even unless DC is bought off (plenty of politicos are owned by the industry). Even if Southwest gets its maintenance act together, improvement won’t happen overnight. Fortunately, the flying public has other options till that time.
Report Post »saneasylum
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 3:31pmYuma is well prepared for any emergency situation. Glad to see the Marines weren’t needed ! Thank God most of our airline pilots are former military, the best in the world !!!
Report Post »TheWatcher
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:56pmPilot to co-pilot, ‘it’s such a nice day let’s put the top down for the passengers. Co-pilot to Pilot, “roger top is down and so are the passengers.
Report Post »=================
Buck
http://www.***************
Heirloom Seeds, “How God plants His garden.”
Redistributor
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:48pmSlap some gum on it and put the damn thing back in place. Fixed.
Report Post »WTFHappenedToTheUSA
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:40pmIn mid-March it was reported that the government “secretly” removed the oxygen tanks from the bathrooms of 6000 passenger planes. The government stated this was done as a safety precaution and stated they did not tell the public because they were afraid someone would “use this information to harm passengers.
The press release also stated that “the loss of cabin pressure is rare” and that if there was a loss of pressure situation like the one that happened Friday, anyone in the bathroom at the time of the loss of pressure would basically suffocate in the bathroom with no oxygen.
So I guess it’s a good thing for the government that no one was in the bathroom dropping a deuce when this happened yesterday.
Of course, there are other reasons someone may suffocate in an airplane bathroom, but we won’t get into olfactory nightmares.
http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/11/faa-orders-removal-of-oxygen-tanks-from-plane-bathrooms/
http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/11/faa-orders-removal-of-oxygen-tanks-from-plane-bathrooms/
Report Post »dvwrld
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:07pmFrom Here, I can see my shorts and what they are filled with!
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:30pma gun shot like sound does nt sound like a mechanical failure ,,, i hope the blind liberal media actually looks into this a little further
Report Post »Ellbee
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:47pmOff Topic but IMPORTANT
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http://www.truethevote.org
Something we can all do to help stop voter fraud
COFemale
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:46pmThe thing that struck me was the mother with the baby. If both seats are occupied and only two mask are deployed, where is the mask for the baby? Does the mother share with the baby or do three mask fall when pressurization fails when their is only two seats in the row?
Now that is scary!
Report Post »freedom4ever
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 2:25pmas a former fa there are at least on the jet i worked on an extra mask. it there are 2 seats then there are 3 masks. you have to remember you first and then the kids. had parents mad at me for seperating them 2 kids and 2 adults = not enough masks! common sense is a thing of the past. glad they are all safe – God was watching over them!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:09pmI wonder if Delta realizes their ad is running before the video about the roof blowing off the plane?
Report Post »ZeeWulf
Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:27pmOn the bright side, Delta actually performs inspections!
Report Post »Steverino
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:04pmI am always impressed when I see the calm professionalism of the pilots and flight attendants in these situations. Talk about grace under fire!
Report Post »Glad everybody’s OK.
obama_binpharteen
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:01pmThis reminds me of a flight some years ago where about 30 feet of the roof was ripped off due to explosive decompression.
Aloha Airlines Flight 243 (AQ 243, AAH 243) was a scheduled Aloha Airlines flight between Hilo and Honolulu in Hawaii. On April 28, 1988, a Boeing 737-200 serving the flight suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression in flight, but was able to land safely at Kahului Airport on Maui. The only fatality was flight attendant C.B. Lansing who was blown out of the airplane. Another 65 passengers and crew were injured.
Report Post »Rob
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:59amI just don’t fly anymore because of the government hassle… keeps me safe too I guess.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:53amHa! I laughed after reading my post above about the fact that I neither sing nor fly well. Could explain why GOD has left me here since both singing and flying well must surely be prerequisites for angels… “She sings like an angel” comes to mind. ; ) and we all know angels fly….
Report Post »thegrassroots
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:58am@ KickAGrandma
LOL! You Are On A Roll! And, Good Morning!
Report Post »KOCHLEFFEL
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:05pmKickagrandma
Report Post »I am glad you do not sing nor fly, I would have to shoot you down.
Salamander
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:44amI’ll bet it was bizarrely calm–it’s kind of hard to show your true feelings when you are bent over, in the crash position, kissing your ass GOODBYE!!! Thank the good Lord I wasn’t on that flight! And, thank the good Lord that all the prayers of those passengers and crew were answered! And, thank the good Lord that there was enough redundancy in design that the plane survived the decompression, the emergency descent and the stresses of approach and landing!!! The pressurization problem makes you wonder if they shouldn‘t design small ’blow-out’ panels at stress points, an early warning for catastrophic failure! The failure of a ‘marker’ component would still be an emergency, but it would also save the larger structure. Anybody know the altitude, turbulence, cycle-life of the aircraft? I’m sure all this will come out of an NTSB investigation (Lord, PLEASE SAVE US from a CONGRESSIONAL HEARING!!!) NTSB=money well-spent; Congressional Hearing=wasteful misuse of resources! And, let the flying public vote with their dollars–fly a carrier with a lower cycle-life in their fleet! It may be less expensive in the long run! (Gosh, that was a bit of a pun, and I didn’t even intend it to be!)
Report Post »twofoot_trucker
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:35amMCAS Yuma? Sheesh. They coulda picked a better place to land than that boring dust bowl.
Seriously, hell of a fine job by the pilot and crew.
Report Post »temple62
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:42pmOh yeah, let’s criticize the pilot choice of landing strips – you need mental help!
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:47pmI guess you can’t recognize sarcasm when you see it…. and obviously you haven’t been to Yuma….LOL
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:33am“Kind of Bizarrely Calm”
Graduation Day!
Then the disappointment that it’s not.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:06amLORD GOD, I thank you so very much that I was not on that flight. YOU know how terrified I am of flying anyway when everything goes as it should.
I really, really, really thank you for the pilot, copilot and people in the plane who remained calm (or comatose) as it descended to safety.
FYI ~~~ I sing like I fly : not well!
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:46pmThis is why I do not fly – or I have several drinks in the airport bar before boarding if I absolutely have to fly. It would only take one incident like that to bring on my heart attack. Can you imagine – asleep on the plane, wake up to an explosion and look up to see the sky!! No thank you very much – I will just walk!! http://maboulette.wordpress.com
Report Post »restorehope
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:06amIf it was metal fatigue, time for Southwest to replace some planes. These people were lucky.
Report Post »thegrassroots
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 11:27amWho was the last person[s] to work on that plane? Was it sent out of the USA for maintenance? Too much emphasis on screening passengers? Not enough emphasis on the mechanics who are building and maintaining and repairing the planes? Sabotage?
Report Post »Sgt.Crust
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:06pmThere’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza…
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:13pmOr maintain them to mil-spec standards. Unless shot down or flown stupidly the Boeing B-52 and C-130 Hercules don’t fall apart or crash.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 12:58pmAgreed, these people were being watched over by the Almighty. Any of the planes needing to be fixed or replaced should be done ASAP.
Report Post »corbecket
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 1:30pm“….. time for Southwest to replace some planes. ”
Nah. Time for Southwest to do some inspections (and maintenance) correctly, like they should have been doing all along. It all comes down to standards. If you’re in a hurry in the cockpit (operational errors/accidents). If you’re lazy/sloppy/cutting corners in the hangar, then things bust out on the line more often.
Sometimes the business of playing fast and loose with the rules just bends metal. Sometimes it kills people. Those passengers were lucky.
Report Post »leftcoastslut
Posted on April 2, 2011 at 4:02pmthat’s it. somewhere I heard there were 160 dirty bombs planted throughtout the country. 160 nuclear bombs detonated at ground level would destroy a lot, but what about 160 airplanes all detonating 1 mile high, tyhe fall out would cover many more miles, what about 5 miles high?
Report Post »Secret Squirrel
Posted on April 3, 2011 at 12:13pm………
Report Post »“I told you that bag wouldn’t fit in the overhead.”
“Now look what you’ve done.”