Ryanair flight loses air pressure

Ryanair flight loses air pressure

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james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,341 posts

212 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I hope this isn't a repost (I've looked for it), but this happened last night:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7581492.stm

I've been listening to Radio 4 and there was an Arctic explorer on board and he's saying that the flight crew gave no information and help to passengers - something Michael O'Leary denies (because he was on board)....


Silver993tt

9,064 posts

254 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
I hope this isn't a repost (I've looked for it), but this happened last night:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7581492.stm

I've been listening to Radio 4 and there was an Arctic explorer on board and he's saying that the flight crew gave no information and help to passengers - something Michael O'Leary denies (because he was on board)....
Also, as reported on Sky News, NO oxygen was being pumped through to the masks when they dropped and were used by all ofthe passengers. I'm not really suprised to see this on an airline that cuts lots of costs under the covers. I would never fly with them or any other airlines with a similar 'business' model.

kambites

69,497 posts

236 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I don't believe there's any evidence that budget airlines are any less safe than more expensive ones is there?

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

254 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
kambites said:
I don't believe there's any evidence that budget airlines are any less safe than more expensive ones is there?
Well, it would never be admitted of course but their profits have to come from somewhere and it certainly isn't from £20 tickets.

kambites

69,497 posts

236 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Silver993tt said:
kambites said:
I don't believe there's any evidence that budget airlines are any less safe than more expensive ones is there?
Well, it would never be admitted of course but their profits have to come from somewhere and it certainly isn't from £20 tickets.
Why would it never be admitted? I wouldn't expect Ryan-air to admit it but I'm pretty certain there are bodies that do statistical monitoring for such things.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,341 posts

212 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I heard that about the Oxygen too, Michael O'Leary insists that it's normal to not notice that you're getting oxygen - I'll check with my girlfriend later as she's cabin crew and she'll know the truth....

Y'man (Michael O'Leary) insists that the crew can't talk with their masks on - something that I'm not sure about - but when the Arctic explorer said that he tried to communicate with the cabin crew, they shrugged their shoulders and didn't seem to know what was going on.

I sense some kind of damage limiting exercise as Michael O'Leary was properly on the offensive on Radio 4...

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,341 posts

212 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
kambites said:
Silver993tt said:
kambites said:
I don't believe there's any evidence that budget airlines are any less safe than more expensive ones is there?
Well, it would never be admitted of course but their profits have to come from somewhere and it certainly isn't from £20 tickets.
Why would it never be admitted? I wouldn't expect Ryan-air to admit it but I'm pretty certain there are bodies that do statistical monitoring for such things.
I suspect it'd never be admitted on legal grounds:

Michael O'Leary : Er, yeh, we skimp on maintenance costs

Flight Authority : You're fired!


kambites

69,497 posts

236 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I think it's naive to assume that any airline does more than the bare minimum that's legally necessary to keep their planes airworthy.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 26th August 09:19

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

259 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
Arctic explorer said that he tried to communicate with the cabin crew, they shrugged their shoulders and didn't seem to know what was going on.
Anoxia. Proof.




wink

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

254 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
I heard that about the Oxygen too, Michael O'Leary insists that it's normal to not notice that you're getting oxygen - I'll check with my girlfriend later as she's cabin crew and she'll know the truth....

Y'man (Michael O'Leary) insists that the crew can't talk with their masks on - something that I'm not sure about - but when the Arctic explorer said that he tried to communicate with the cabin crew, they shrugged their shoulders and didn't seem to know what was going on.

I sense some kind of damage limiting exercise as Michael O'Leary was properly on the offensive on Radio 4...
Michael O'Leary is a particular reason I would never travel with Ryan Air. He's arrogant to the level that I wouldn't trust any of his operations on safety or quality grounds. His only way of promoting his airline is to rubbish other airlines. In business when you resort to constantly slating the competition you are showing how bad your own product is. As for Ryan Air advertsing, well that's also another story, constantly breaking advertising law/rules.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,341 posts

212 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Einion Yrth said:
james_tigerwoods said:
Arctic explorer said that he tried to communicate with the cabin crew, they shrugged their shoulders and didn't seem to know what was going on.
Anoxia. Proof.

wink
biglaughrofl

davemac250

4,499 posts

220 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Whatever your thoughts are on Ryan-air and the 'service' they offer they are there to make O'leary rich.

His cabin crew standards are woefully inadequate on most routes.

I had the misfortune to fly Ryan-air to Bratislava last year.

I was sat infront of a guy who had a major fit. We are talking complete loss of body functions, the works.

I was sat with a doctor and a theatre nurse, I have had lots of first aid training including mountain rescue stuff.

The cabin crew ignored this guy for some 5 minutes, when they arrived they had no idea what to do. They refused to get oxygen for him when advised by the doctor and stood around discussing what to do. It took them another 5 minutes to find disclaimer forms to give over the painfully empty of any use first aid kit to the medical staff on board.

Fits are not un-common and treatment is reasonably simple. The guy needed some time and some help to get back to a stabalised state and a little bit of understanding.

It really was headless chicken time with lots of shouting going on.

To top it off this guy was told to disembark with the rest of the passengers, not offered any time to clean himself up, and pushed through into the arrival hall.

Last time I have used them, and would have to be in a really tight spot to consider it again. Just hate to think what the response would be if it was something more serious.




Simpo Two

88,999 posts

280 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
Silver993tt said:
Also, as reported on Sky News, NO oxygen was being pumped through to the masks when they dropped and were used by all ofthe passengers.
If so, why didn't everyone faint on the way down to 8,000 feet?

As for the pilot announcements, O'Leary said that the pilots also needed to don oxygen masks and could not then make announcements. Whether true or not I don't know, but I'd suggest that dealing with the emergency and getting the plane to safety is more important than stopping to chat to passengers. Deal with emergency, then chat.

As for the cabin crew though, I'm not surprised. No doubt barely able to pour coffee; wrong calibre etc.

sprinter885

11,550 posts

242 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
eek Booked on Ryanair B'ham to Biarritz in 2 weeks !
As for the oxygen thing I'm not sure about that. Some guy on breakfast TV today said people often expect the "bladder" device to inflate & assume no O2 there if not. Apparently normal. If
people were still conscious then that shirley shows it was working??

lawrence567

7,507 posts

205 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I've also had the dis-pleasure of flying Ryan Air to Barcelona.
Where do i start with this rant?
Ok i know where, overpriced horrible food & a skanky looking airline inside, you get what you pay for so the quality was quite poor (IMO anyway.)
Our flight was late to land & then the best bit.
The return journey.
Having the luck we did on this holiday the underground broke down on our way back to the airport in Barcelona which meant we missed our coach to the airport.
The checking in closed at 10.45 in the morning (or around that time).
We were there at 10.44 (by the airport clock) the check in girl had left, when we complained and said we still had time to get on they were havign none of it.
We subsequently lost our flight back to Bristol airport.
We than had to wait 6 hours for the next flight to Bournemouth (a pig to get to)!
Awaiting in the departure lounge we're told to come to gate 4.
We wait for 45mins at gate 4 & are then told its not actually our flight.
Over the next half an hour we're sent up and down the airport from gates 4 all the way up until 11.
Then told we're boarding at gate 4 again.
Already 1.15 mins behind schdeule we queue up at gate 4 again.
We're told to board the aircraft, directed to such aircraft, get on everyone buckles up, then we're told they've put us on the wrong plane - we're then sent back down to another gate to board another aircraft.
We funally land about 2.5 hours late or something stupid like that.
This company is a joke & it's completely true that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys!

TIGA84

5,400 posts

246 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I've been told by a friend (a pilot for another airline) about Ryanair.

His exact words were "I wouldn't get on one if you paid me."

Massive pressure on pilots, average safety, questionable maintainance.


Silver993tt

9,064 posts

254 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
sprinter885 said:
eek Booked on Ryanair B'ham to Biarritz in 2 weeks !
As for the oxygen thing I'm not sure about that. Some guy on breakfast TV today said people often expect the "bladder" device to inflate & assume no O2 there if not. Apparently normal. If
people were still conscious then that shirley shows it was working??
Maybe O'Leary was on the flight, if so he always produces alot of hot air - no need for oxygen masks. This also applies to Cawley, he's just as arrogant and rude about other airlines.

Edited by Silver993tt on Tuesday 26th August 09:49

Apache

39,731 posts

299 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I'm pretty sure the emergency oxy masks are not supplied from an oxygen bottle somewhere but have their own independant O2 generators which last just long enough for the plane to perform an emergency descent

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

254 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
TIGA84 said:
I've been told by a friend (a pilot for another airline) about Ryanair.

His exact words were "I wouldn't get on one if you paid me."

Massive pressure on pilots, average safety, questionable maintainance.
Well Ryan Air relys on a 20-25min turnaround. That's from getting to the get, disembarking all passengers, cleaning (hehe), saftey checks (hehe) and boarding the departing passengers. It's this kind of operational 'skimping' by rushing everything leaving no contigency that will eventually lead to the unfortunate serious injuries or loss of life.

tvrolet

4,555 posts

297 months

Tuesday 26th August 2008
quotequote all
I have to admit that I've never liked OLeary's attitude, and have avoided flying RyanAir pretty much at all costs as a result. But in terms if this current incident I can see nothing more than the press trying to sensationalise and idiot passengers.

For my sins I am a very frequent flyer, and most folks pay no attention to the safety briefing and have no idea what WILL happen when things to wrong. To an extent I think it's a fault on all airlines when they go through the 'in the event of a drop in cabin pressure....' all they tell the punters is that masks will be deployed and how to use them (PULL them, don't just put them on dope). What they miss is saying "the aircraft will immediately go into a steep dive to a lower altitude, and in that period the flight crew and cabin crew will be unable to make any annoucements". The guys up front will have their hands full (and masks on), and the cabin crew will have no idea of the cause of the depressurisation, or the current altitude, or when the air's breathable...they'll have no more idea than the passengers until things level out and the flight crew start speaking again.

As to the 'no oxygen'...no-one passed out? No-one died? The bag will not inflate, if that's what folks are looking for as a sign. You haven't donned scuba gear - there won't be a blast of oxygen, and given it's odourless and tasteless, how do folks know it's not working? You only have to look at the diameter of the plastic tube to realise that you're not going to get (or need) much more than a trick of pure oxygen. Happily I haven't had to don an oxygen mask in a plane, but have been on oxygen a few times in hospitals and it is surprising how little you need to keep going, and how long a breath of the pure stuff lasts. So, I'd question the 'non-working' oxygen - seems everyone was still breathing when the plane levelled out wink

So, much as I'd love to slate off OLeary and RyanAir, in this instance it seems like a perfectly well executed deployment of masks and immediate dive to a lower breathable level - pretty much by the book. Seems the press just want to big it up rolleyes