You're not afraid of flying, are you?

[stevetx19]

Southwest Airlines Plane's Ceiling Rips Open During Phoenix-Sacramento Flight - ABC News

Southwest Airlines Plane's Ceiling Rips Open During Phoenix-Sacramento Flight
Plane Dives Amid Cabin Decompression, Forcing Emergency Landing at Yuma, Ariz., Military Base

By LISA STARK, MATT HOSFORD and MICHAEL S. JAMES
April 2, 2011

The ceiling of a Southwest Airlines plane out of Phoenix tore open in mid-air Friday while flying at 36,000 feet, prompting a sudden loss of cabin pressure, a rapid descent and an emergency landing at a military base in Yuma, Ariz.


"My husband who was sitting right underneath this could look up and see a hole in the roof of the plane, and could see the sky up there, which was a little disconcerting," passenger Sandra Haros told KTAR, an ABC News Radio affiliate in Phoenix.

Southwest Airlines reported no customer injuries aboard Flight 812, but said a flight attendant suffered a "minor injury upon descent."

The airline evidently referred to a flight attendant who fell and injured his or her nose, passenger Brenda Reese told The Associated Press. Reese added that some people "were passing out because they weren't getting the oxygen" from masks that dropped from above during the emergency.

The Southwest flight, a Boeing 737, had taken off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport around 3:45 p.m. local time, bound for Sacramento, Calif., with 118 passengers on board.

For the first 20 minutes or so, all appeared normal as the plane climbed to 36,000 feet.

Flight attendants had just taken drink orders when passengers reported hearing loud pops.

Reese awoke to a "gunshot-like sound," she told the AP.

Soon, the roof opened up. Astonished passengers described a gaping hole, perhaps three to four feet long and a foot wide, right next to the luggage compartment.

The plane suffered a rapid decompression, oxygen masks popped out and the plane went into a dive, according to passengers and officials.

The Southwest pilots radioed air traffic control, declared an emergency, and began a rapid descent -- quickly diving to a lower altitude so passengers would be able to breathe on their own.

The jet plunged from 36,000 to 19,000 feet in just one minute. Within five minutes, it reached the safer altitude of 11,000 feet.

Some terrified passengers clearly thought it was the end. One women whose husband was on the plane received a text from him -- "Plane going down. Love you."

However, the plane was able to land at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station/International Airport at 4:07 p.m. Friday, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Passengers thankful to be on the ground called loved ones and waited for a new Southwest jet to pick them up and take them on their way.

What caused the hole in the plane's fuselage was not immediately clear. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was launching a formal investigation into the incident, and that an "in-flight fuselage rupture" led to the drop in cabin pressure aboard the plane.

Boeing and the FAA also were investigating.

It appeared the tear was to the plane's skin, its outer protective metal, not the jet's internal structure, an aviation expert told ABC News.

The FBI said told the AP it suspected "mechanical failure," not foul play or terrorism.

The jet was built in 1996, according to an FAA database, making it 15 years old, not ancient by aviation standards.

However, Southwest planes get a big workout because they do so many takeoffs and landings a day, which puts stress on the metal fuselage.

Two years ago, a hole opened up in the fuselage of another Southwest plane, a jet also 15 years old. Investigators blamed fatigue cracks, and Boeing ordered extra inspections for its 737s.

In 1998, a flight attendant died after being sucked out of a hole in the ceiling of an Aloha Airlines flight over Hawaii after cracks caused part of the ceiling on that Boeing 737 to peel open.

Hours after their emergency landing in Yuma, Southwest Flight 812's passengers arrived in Sacramento aboard a reserve plane.

Ashley Main was delighted that her boyfriend was safe and sound. She'd been waiting for hours, ever since receiving a frightening text message.

"He sent me a text when he was on the ground and told me there was a hole in the ceiling of the plane and told me he was all right and did assure me that -- but I don't believe him," she said. "My heart sank. I have a fear of flying anyway and it scares me to think he could be lost to me."

[tplyons]

Scary, but still safer than driving.

Glad to hear everyone's ok. Only injury was a flight attendant, but didn't seem too bad from the story.

[stevetx19]

Originally Posted by tplyons

Scary, but still safer than driving.

absolutely. But, when driving, rarely do you descend 17,000 feet in one minute. yowza. This is fear we are talking about, and rationality is generally separate.

[bassteban]

I am actually afraid of flying, but admit that IMO it's a bit unreasonable- I'd definitely call it a mild-to-medium phobia. This doesn't really change it for me, except for the fact that the next time I do fly, I really won't want to be on a SW 737(& I have been).

[TOOL460002]

glad those flimsy little masks work, huh? that altitude change in an unpressurized cabin could cause some sinus issues; maybe damage ear drums... not sure...

as for being afraid to fly, well, statistically, that probably wont happen to you. those planes have more components than space shuttles (if memory serves), and they run almost 24/7, and still have an amazing track record.

you always hear about airline tragedies (even if there arent major injuries), but im pretty sure the news wont go into "breaking coverage" mode to list all the car accidents that occur each and every day.

the only thing that bothered me was the lagos (nigeria) airport. i lived there for three years, and there was a nigerian airlines plane off the tarmac broken down and with the hull ripped apart. they didnt move it for years.

so: southwest? yes. nigerian airways? uh... maybe check for other flights...

[KeithBMI]

I'm a little nervous when I fly, especially when we're over the ocean and there is no place to land. It helps to remember that the factor of safety on most of the airplane components is probably around 20. Most of the fear comes from having no control. I can't burst into the cockpit when the plane is going down and say, "I'll take it from here."

[Pilgrim]

Flying is tons safer than driving. You have to pay attention to the odds.

[Horny Toad]

I'm not afraid of flying, I'm afraid of crashing.

[colcifer]

Originally Posted by Horny Toad

I'm not afraid of flying, I'm afraid of crashing.

Same here but I wouldn't say I worry about it.

[A-Step-Towards]

I will get on a plane, I will fly but its not something I get stoked about and I rather not do it. I am the same about haircuts.

So when something like this happens do the passengers get some money or what? I would want some thousands of dollars given to me, i got about 3000$ profit from a minor fender bender so almost being sucked out of a convertable airplane would make me want some kickback.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by TOOL460002

. . . those planes have more components than space shuttles (if memory serves), and they run almost 24/7, and still have an amazing track record.

Sorry to poop on an otherwise really good post of yours . . .
but the Space Shuttle is the most complicated machine ever built and commercial airlines don't have anywhere near the number of components.

That's one reason why we have many thousands of commercial flights per year, typically with no crashes or serious accidents as compared to a catastrophic failure rate of 1/100 for space shuttle flights.

[TBAR Shane]

Not afraid of flying, but I am afraid SouthWest, I've heard nothing but bad issues about them.

[MJ5150]

I always hope something like this would happen while I am on a flight.

-Mike

[Steve]

Going down in a plane crash or shot by a jealous husband is how REAL musician are supposed to check out...isn't it?

[UnsungZeros]

Originally Posted by TFA

Some terrified passengers clearly thought it was the end. One women whose husband was on the plane received a text from him -- "Plane going down. Love you."

A text, really? If I really thought the plane was doomed, I'd at least try to call so I could hear my spouse's voice one last time.

[Let It Fall]

Originally Posted by UnsungZeros

A text, really? If I really thought the plane was doomed, I'd at least try to call so I could hear my spouse's voice one last time.

no cause the flight attendant would probably still be there nagging you to turn off your phone.

[A.Diva]

Nope, not afraid of flying.

However, the streets of Houston, TX have me updating my will on a regular basis! These folks over here don't even slow down for the fire trucks and ambulances.

[Jay Ralston]

I was on a South West flight from Vegas to San Diego that almost crashed. Reading the story brings back a lot of memories of that flight. Glad to hear that no one was seriously hurt though.

[machine gewehr]

I remember the flight where the upperside of the hull exploded...

The plane landed and everyone was safe but there was one missing flight attendent,an asian woman whom I forgot her name.She was vacuumed outside when the hull exploded.What a horror...

Still,flying is the safest way to travel.

[TOOL460002]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Sorry to poop on an otherwise really good post of yours . . .
but the Space Shuttle is the most complicated machine ever built and commercial airlines don't have anywhere near the number of components.

ah man! i honest to god read that in a book... by michael crichton. i thought the dude did lots of research. the man has steered me wrong. thanks for the correction.

oh, another fun fact that i found watching the history channel (was about crazy airline survival stories), is that some planes have a prop that will pop out, and act as a windmill to generate electricity should you run out of gas and still want lights and some level of control. the flight story im thinking of was trans atlantic, had a series of odd circumstances (freak of nature they leaked fuel without really knowing). from 30k feet you can glide a pretty decent distance, depending on the plane design (i assume thats a factor). they ended up landing at some military base on islands pretty far off the coast of spain/portugal.

oh- here we go (wikipedia to the rescue!):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_236

if that doesnt inspire confidence i dont know what would