Hi - Just saw on the news that a Southwest flight (737) had to make an emergency landing b/c a hole was created in the top of the plane near the tail in
flight. How can this happen in today's day and age with all the safety precautions airlines should be taking? How can anyone feel safe flying after
seeing that? The news also mentioned that Southwest has been fined b/c of cracks they need to fix on certain planes. I just booked a Southwest flight form
Manchester to Phoenix b/c of their safety record, the fact they are union, etc. Captain Tom or Steve, can you please give an explanation to ease our minds?
thanks!
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Southwest Hole in Plane
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 Freddie |
Southwest Hole in Plane |
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Posts: 1 (07/15/09 04:21:20) |
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Portastorm |
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Posts: 83 (07/15/09 06:16:54) |
Freddie -- planes pressurize and de-pressurize every flight. The exterior of the aircraft ("the skin") also literally expands and contracts during
that time. Over time there is wear and airlines literally apply patches to aircraft. We have no idea yet why it happened but the plane's exterior reacted
like it should and only a small hole appeared. Did you notice that the plane landed fine and all the passengers had nothing but praise for the flight crew? If
anything I was encouraged by the professional and excellent response from SWA employees to make this situation nothing more than media drama and a "wow,
that is wild" response from the public.
I fly SWA all the time and, yes, I am a recovering FF. They do a great job and you'll be just fine on your flight! |
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brad4568 |
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Posts: 1 (07/15/09 06:34:57) |
I'm flying on Southwest next week and this makes me a little nervous as well. They boast that the average age of their fleet is 10 years, but
what that doesn't tell you is that 1/3 of their fleet, the 737-300 planes, has an average age of just over 17 years.
The age of the 707-300 doesn't bother me as much as their deceptive advertising does. Between their fairly recent fines regarding their 300 series planes and now this football-sized hole will make me more than a little nervous during my upcoming flight. |
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OneAnt |
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Posts: 862 (07/15/09 10:14:12) |
brad4568-
The age of the aircraft doesn't matter in the slightest. The only reason it's even mentioned in their advertising--which I don't think is deceptive at all--is because people like you think it matters. What matters is maintenance. Freddie- You said "How can this happen in today's day and age with all the safety precautions airlines should be taking? How can anyone feel safe flying after seeing that?". The airline industry can take every precaution possible, but occasionally something will still go wrong. Perfection is unattainable. You can feel safe because it's very, VERY, VERY unlikely that: 1) something will go wrong on your flight, and, even more unlikely, 2) that the "something" will be a fatal event. |
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Capn Steve |
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Posts: 605 (07/15/09 16:40:19) |
Well, I'll be as interested as anyone, in finding out what caused this to happen.
Which, I should add, will probably take a number of months, at least. So, to those who want an Instant Answer, e.g., "I wanna know Right Now what happened," I can only say, Just remember that Patience is a Virtue. I think the salient point to remember here is, the hole did not expand beyond a foot (or so) diameter in size. Of course, the cabin depressurized; that's to be expected. The crew performed admirably, and got the airplane onto the ground as soon as they could. So -- that would tend to make me feel MORE secure, if I were a Fearful Flier. (At least, that's what I like to think.) Stay tuned. I'm sure that some interesting findings will come out of all this. Cheers. Steve |
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brad4568 |
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Posts: 2 (07/25/09 16:12:15) |
Just returned from a trip with SWA that left earlier this week and the only odd thing was that the flight attendants on both flights placed special emphasis on
protocol to be followed in the event that the oxygen masks are deployed, on both flights they actually went over this twice walking the legnth of the plane
making certain that everyone understood and that those with children knew to help themselves first.
The flights were uneventful and many of the tips I've read on this forum helped put my mind at ease. It also helped to put it into this perspective, I've personally known many, many people who have been killed in car or motorcycle accidents over the years, and almost everyone I've known over the last 30 years has flown at least twice in their lifetime, yet I don't know a single person who has had so much as a paper cut from a magazine while on any flight. |
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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. |
