BeenThereDoneIt

Would you drop the O2 masks in your cabin (with pax on board, of course) if you were getting a significant amount of smoke in the cabin/cockpit? I was just reviewing the onboard fire and huge loss of life during the Saudi Flight 163 fire and the Air Canada DC-9 fire in the 80's.

As an ex-firefighter, I totally understand that most people who die in fires generally perish from smoke inhalation, not from the fire itself. That would apply in an airplane as well. Would you give your passengers a chance?

slipped

NO I would not give my PAX a chance. COME ON! drop em 5 minutes ago!

Unless the debate is about adding O2 to the fire.

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TransMach

Remember that the pax dixie cup O2 mask is simply a trickle of O2 and they will still inhale some smoke. Important to remember that although you drop all the masks, only ones that a pax pulls down on (pulling a pin in a small valve that starts the flow of O2) will flow O2.

TransMach

whatthe6789

Why WOULDN'T you drop the masks?

ovrtake92

We have smoke hoods for passengers similar to a PBE that is used in the airlines so thats cool but I dont really see a reason to not drop the masks in the event of smoke in the cabin. (Might make pax feel better) The bottom line is that the airplane should be landed at the nearest suitable airport by means of a maximum performance descent with consideration given to structural integrity, Traffic, MSA's etc. I think of it in terms of a passenger shouldnt have time to suffocate to death if I recognize and identify smoke in the cabin, initiate an emergency descent and land within 10-12 minutes with emergency personnel waiting on the ground. It should also enter the pilots mind that sometimes tis better to land in a field than to fall apart in the sky. (Extreme circumstance)

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BeenThereDoneIt

Why wouldn't I drop the masks? I WOULD......but apparently some airline captains don't see it that way.

FIREPILOT2

Dropping the masks is a no brainer--should be part of emer checklist. We have our crew masks armed as part of our climb checklist right after climb power just for that very reason of smoke in the cockpit. Had actual incident on climb out in IMC is reason for our procedural change. Before we armed crew masks @ FL150 checklist---flying in our comfort zone thinking nothing like that will ever happen to us. On the rare event you experience burning wires behind the panel and how acrid that smoke can be ---you will kiss your lucky stars for O2.

expectholding

my company and union safety committee have recommended that we do not drop the masks unless we are attempting to evacuate the smoke by dumping the pressurization. not knowing the source of the smoke, introducing oxygen into the cabin for 12 mins without the ability to control (stop) it could make things interesting. their recommendations are consistent with the embraer emergency checklist.

prior to these recommendations, we had an aircraft that had a reoccurring (3 times) problem with this until an engine was replaced. all three crews donned their crew masks and made emergency descents and landed within 15 minutes. 1 crew dropped the pax masks, the other 2 did not. i see the argument for dropping the masks. i personally dont think i would.

elcid88

Depends on the aircraft and type of O2 system.

ovrtake92

Definitely. I don't personally know of any planes where O2 is leaked without pulling the pin but if this was the case I would not want to dump a bunch of masks into an unknown smoke source. But otherwise it seems like it would be such minimal O2 vs allowing the pax a little comfort during such an event. Good debate though because maybe there isnt a right or wrong answer just preference and whatever your aircrafts checklist says.

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Captain Stabbin's Cabin