Jet Airways India forgot to pressurise plane

[straitman]

A ‘small point’ that appears to be being overlooked here is that in all probability people were already effected by a lack of oxygen.

Until you have been in a decompression chamber you have no idea of your reactions. Everything feels fine and you believe you are handling the situation but in retrospect you look back and your thought processes are totally screwed up.

There is a distinct possibility that that’s what has happened to people in this situation.

 

[Quickstatus]

A ‘small point’ that appears to be being overlooked here is that in all probability people were already effected by a lack of oxygen.

Until you have been in a decompression chamber you have no idea of your reactions. Everything feels fine and you believe you are handling the situation but in retrospect you look back and your thought processes are totally screwed up.

There is a distinct possibility that that’s what has happened to people in this situation.

Yes as in Helios, except they did not have the benefit of hindsight

If that’s so why does automatic deployment occur when cabin altitude reaches 14000’

 

[AviatorInsight]

A ‘small point’ that appears to be being overlooked here is that in all probability people were already effected by a lack of oxygen.

Until you have been in a decompression chamber you have no idea of your reactions. Everything feels fine and you believe you are handling the situation but in retrospect you look back and your thought processes are totally screwed up.

There is a distinct possibility that that’s what has happened to people in this situation.

Not to forget also, how many of these people smoke? Or even if they don't smoke, I can't imagine the quality of air in India.

At sea level, healthy non-smokers can have up to 99 per cent oxygen saturation in their blood. Heavy smokers at sea level can be at the equivalent of 5000 feet, and being intoxicated or hungover is reckoned to be a penalty of 2000 feet.

 

[flychrisfly]

If the crew did notice the problem at say 9,000 ft, and flicked the switch/turned the dial how long would it have taken to pressurise the cabin?

 

[straitman]

If the crew did notice the problem at say 9,000 ft, and flicked the switch/turned the dial how long would it have taken to pressurise the cabin?

It really doesn’t matter in your example. Below 10,000 ft there is, at least theoretically, no need for oxygen. The system would catch up as you climbed.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Yes as in Helios, except they did not have the benefit of hindsight

If that’s so why does automatic deployment occur when cabin altitude reaches 14000’

Good question. Because the FAA classifies an occurrence of decompression as significant if the cabin pressure exceeds 14,000ft. It's basically on time of useful consciousness. The general consensus being that up to 14,000ft a passenger sitting in a seat does not use as much oxygen as a flight crew member performing complex tasks (during a depressurisation), therefore their time of useful consciousness may be in excess of 30mins.

 

[Quickstatus]

Not to forget also, how many of these people smoke? Or even if they don't smoke, I can't imagine the quality of air in India.

At sea level, healthy non-smokers can have up to 99 per cent oxygen saturation in their blood. Heavy smokers at sea level can be at the equivalent of 5000 feet, and being intoxicated or hungover is reckoned to be a penalty of 2000 feet.

Oxygen saturation is 90% at 10000feet breathing air assuming normal lungs with normal gas exchange. It doesn’t take much to tip over into hypoxic range(<90% saturation SpO2 ) especially with high oxygen consumption during exercise. At the usual sea levels with SpO2 >96%, maximum exercise would actually not be capable of dropping blood oxygen content into hypoxic levels

A drop in oxygen content (due to exercise) causing SpO2 to drop for example 5% from 90% would probably only drop SPO2 1-2% when SPo2 is >96%.

 

[daft009]

Domestic Air travel is still relatively new to Indians compared to the rest of the western world. As society has more disposable income more people choose to fly.

Most Indians also seem to have big ego's. They know everything and listen to no one.

lol. here's more proof to my comment:

Allegedly drunk passenger tries to enter plane coughpit to charge his phone
&
Emergency evacuation: Indian flyer mistakes exit door for loo

OMG!

 

[Quickstatus]

Lots of other ethnic groups have done that.
See AUS-DPS return

 

[JohnK]

Even with manual systems it's a concern that an important item was missed off a check list.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Even with manual systems it's a concern that an important item was missed off a check list.

I agree. No matter how experienced you are, you still need to follow procedures that have been designed to keep you safe.