WHEN YOUR airplane drops 20,000 FT as well as THE OXYGEN MASKS decrease

>Posted: 01/28/2013 | January 28th, 2013

Last week, I woke up at 4am to begin a long journey to the Bahamas, for a quick four-day trip. It was going to be a long day with extremely bit sleep.

First, Boston to new York, then to Fort Lauderdale before taking my final flight to the Bahamas.

I was flying United, my least preferred carrier, however the ticket was free, so I had bit option in the matter.

Shortly after I boarded my airplane in NYC, the security rundown began to play.

“When the seat belt indication illuminates, you should fasten your seat belt. Insert the metal fittings one into the other as well as tighten by pulling on the loose end of the strap… In the event of a decompression, an oxygen mask will immediately appear in front of you. To begin the flow of oxygen, pull the mask toward you. location it firmly over your nose as well as mouth… although the bag does not inflate…” as well as so on.

I’ve heard the security rundown countless times, so I tuned it out as well as nodded off to sleep.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

I woke as much as the noise of my eardrums popping.

“What’s going on?” I thought, shifting in my seat as well as trying to autumn back asleep.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

As my eardrums began to noise like popcorn in a microwave, I couldn’t autumn back asleep. They were small, regular pops, as well as in my zombie-like state, I couldn’t location why this was happening.

I opened my eyes in a haze when it happened.

All of a sudden, the oxygen masks deployed from above. I looked confusedly at the people next to me. as well as then in the seats around me. There had been no turbulence. Was this a mistake? half asleep, I didn’t understand what to make of it.

All of a sudden, a voice boomed over the PA system. “Put on your masks.”

Holy crap! This was no mistake.

I reached for my mask. exactly how did that security rundown go again? “In the event of an emergency, oxygen masks will deploy…” I tried to keep in mind in my sleepy state. besides those security briefings, you recognize you’ve ended up being numb to them, tuned them out. then when an emergency happens, you think, “What the heck do I do again?”

I put on the mask as well as fumbled to tighten the strings, taking unnecessarily deep breaths, concerned that if I didn’t, I’d suffocate. I looked around. The company traveler next to me kept reading the paper. The lady sitting diagonally from me as well as the couple to my best all looked petrified. in front of me, I might hear a lady telling her kids, “Mommy likes you, mom likes you,” over as well as over again.

As the circumstance unfolded, I believed to myself that we had most likely just lost cabin pressure, as well as it was nothing to concern about. We hadn’t taken a dive; we hadn’t hit turbulence.

But minutes passed.

And they kept passing.

There were no announcements about what was going on. Of course, I desired the pilots solving problems, not chatting with me, however the dearth of info made those minutes last forever.

Then suddenly, we dropped — as well as we dropped fast.

My heart leaped out of my chest. “Maybe there is something truly wrong with the plane!”

All those fears I have about heights as well as flying were all of a sudden realized.

There is nothing scarier than having your airplane decrease 20,000 feet in seconds. It’s a feeling I never want to experience once again in my life.

We soon leveled out, as well as I later discovered that when you lose cabin pressure, you have to decrease below 10,000 feet to avoid a loss of consciousness.

Soon, the flight attendants walked casually down the aisle using their masks. If you ask any type of regular flier, they’ll always tell you that if the flight attendants aren’t scared, you don’t requirement to be either.

Finally, the captain came on the PA system as well as explained that, yes, the cabin had lost pressure and, no, there was nothing to concern about, however yes, we would be making an emergency landing.

You always question exactly how you’d react in a circumstance like this. When those masks autumn as well as your airplane descends rapidly, will your life flash before your eyes? will everybody be screaming? will it be chaos? will you understand what to do?

Surprisingly, none of that happened. My life didn’t flash before my eyes. everybody stayed calm. We were much more in a specify of confusion than anything else.

After we landed, my buddies as well as I laughed as well as talked about it as we sat in Charleston’s flight terminal drinking beer as well as waiting on a new flight. “Here’s to our very first emergency landing!” we cheered.

Yet as I believed about what had happened, I realized just exactly how helpless we are when that airplane door closes. Your life is in the hands of two people you will never see or meet. Anything can happen, as well as you have no manage over it.

You just have to count on that they understand what they’re doing.

Events such as this hit you with the realization that no matter exactly how well you plan your life, all the manage you believe you have is an illusion.

Life occurs without you, as well as you’re truly just along for the ride.

It’s moments such as this that make you unwind as well as online a little. It’s taken a few days for that concept to settle, in however when you recognize you have no control, life gets put in perspective.

Go where life takes you, as well as delight in the adventure. have fun. Do what you love. Be with who you love.

Because one day, you’re 35,000 feet above the Atlantic, the masks come down, as well as the only thing you can do is state to yourself, “If this is it, I regret nothing.”

P.S. – These pictures were taken after I realized I wasn’t going to die. Additionally, I don’t blame United completely. This might have occurred on any type of airline, however when I overheard the captain state that this was the second time this had occurred to him in a week, I got uneasy about the basic of United maintenance.
 

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