I flew Southwest yesterday from KC to San Antonio. What unnerved me was the Captain came on and said that they were having problems with the cabin pressure and
we had to fly to Dallas at 10,000 feet. The oxygen masks did not come down. I was not terrified but concerned. I reminded myself that the Captain and his crew
were trained for situations like this. But it was a little unnerving and I felt somewhat nervous when getting on my connecting flight. I have to fly back to KC
tomorrow morning and I'm fretting.
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0 Kudos
Loss of Cabin Pressure
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 Lobbyist |
Loss of Cabin Pressure |
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Posts: 1 (08/15/09 05:09:31) |
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Portastorm |
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Posts: 96 (08/15/09 05:48:08) |
The "worst" thing that can happen is anxiety on the part of passengers and an unhappy Southwest Airlines bean counter when he/she finds out how much
extra fuel the 737 had to burn flying at a lower altitude. You were never in any danger flying at 10k. Dude, that kinda stuff is extremely rare. Your flight
back will be just fine.
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Lobbyist |
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Posts: 2 (08/15/09 06:22:51) |
The Captain did mention that we had enough fuel for that altitude. Thanks so much for helping me out.
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Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW |
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Posts: 2674 (08/16/09 09:24:50) |
If the pilots are having trouble with the regulator that controls the cabin pressure, one very conservative option is to simply turn it off and fly at an
altitude at which no pressurization is needed.
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Note from Capt. Tom I know everyone worries about weather, but pilots really do not worry about it. We simply - instead of worrying about it - completely prepare for it. Before going to the plane, we review the weather at the destination. If it is not 100% sure to be within legal limits when we arrive at the destination, we must specify an alternate airport in our planning documents, and load on plenty of fuel for going to the destination airport, and then if need be, diverting to the alternate airport. The legal limits are conservative. Even when weather is slightly outside the legal limits, any airline pilot could still land safely. You can rely on the captain never to land when the weather is not legal, and legality limits are reached prior to safety limits. If you are still anxious, call me and we can talk it over. I'm at 877 332-7359 from 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern time. For effective help, even if you are flying in a day or two, sign up now at www.fearofflying.com/fasttrack and call me when you finish Clip 9 so I can make sure you are all set. |
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Using Weather Information If you enter your ZIP Code or City at the top of the weather presentation, it will give you weather for your area. Or, you can enter your destination ZIP Code or City.
Click on the "LOCAL RADAR" button to see whether or not there are thunder- Turbulence, though it may cause anxiety, does not mean anything is wrong. Turbulence does not mean danger. The plane can handle far more turbulence than Mother Nature can dish out. Though flying in turbulence is safe, it doesn't feel safe. And here is where the SOAR programs come in. We can help you feel as safe when you fly as you actually are. You can see these programs at www.fearofflying.com/store. |
