ATC here. Had it happen once with a single engine cessna. Heart rate goes from 60-160 in a second. I couldn't imagine hearing that from a commercial flight. Luckily in my situation it worked out just as well. Guy was losing his engine asked him if he checked his carb heat, he turned it on and continued on. But that initial call is pretty jarring.

Tower acknowledges that they have requested emergency equipment. Then a couple/few minutes later, the same question is asked. So someone wasn't paying attention or forgot that they had requested the emergency equipment.

They forget under stress I’ve seen that happen before. The tower is talking to a lot of people… all hell is breaking loose for everybody!

And ATC not knowing what they’re dealing with up there. Is the pilot just a little inexperienced and not handling anxiety well? Or are pilot’s experiencing literal hell on earth? So ATC has to swallow their own fear and just be calm voice.

@@bobbyslaton3737 And of course the pilots are in aviate-navigate-communicate mode. Communicate is last, even though ATC wants it to be first.

yeh, but he lossing preture, no?

My son flies for SW and luckily so far has not had an IFE, but when he was USAF flying KC-135 tankers they had to divert to Iceland during a trans-Atlantic flight for this exact same reason - loss of pressurization.

That must’ve been a heck of a lot of pizza

@@puhoyzzee4364 at least 20 boxes 😋😋

thats funny, I had a safety problem on a Air canada flight as well, and then they cited "safety problem" as the reason why they wouldn't reimburse me anything. what a joke

Cabin pressure is not particularly important for flight, it's important for health over an extended period of time. The pilots have different masks than passengers that can sustain them in excellent health for extended periods. Passenger masks are for short term use and technically unnecessary (for long term health) with the rapid descent the pilots will perform.

You may have read about pressurization accidents in the past. But so have airlines, and they've spent millions learning from them. Pilots sim loss of pressurization many, many hours each year and if their mask drops you'd be shocked how quickly they have it on. If the pilots have masks on and a working engine, you're going to be fine.

I've flown in a glider at around 14,000ft for about an hour without oxygen. I didn't notice any ill effects.

​@@ColinWattersI've hiked mountains at 14,000 ft, and not particularly in great shape.

It’ll be a while until they reach 10k miles though. 😊

the first rule of the "Hitch hiker's guide to the galaxy"....well the second after "do you know where your towel is" is written right on the front "Don't Panic" it's something that you learn in survival, panicking uses more oxygen and ramps up your adrenaline, making it harder to think clearly.

It's that or die basically

@@Kafj302 What a great movie reference. I’m former LE and have done survival training. You’re absolutely correct…when people panic, people can die/get injured. It’s still amazing to me when these situations occur. The History Buff channel covers this for the movie Apollo 13. When the part comes up with all the alarms and explosions happening in the movie, the radio chatter is chaotic. Hollywood had to make it extremely dramatic because it was the complete opposite. The actual radio conversation between the astronauts and Houston was quite boring and calm. Thank you for interacting.

It is possible because they are very well trained in flying, radio communications and simulated emergencies. When you are well trained you can have the calmness

well put all staff with untrained woman(or man) and a social media sissy, that would be fun.

It's why I'm glad there's two trained Professionals in that plane. The idiots that want to save on pilot by only putting One Pilot in a plane should be on this flight.

@@RowanHawkins To be fair there are plenty of single pilot operated passenger flights around the world every day. Having said that, listening to ATC broadcasts really convinced me that once you start getting to dozens of passengers or more with pressurised aircraft. Two pilots is a reasonable minimum during Take Off, Ascent, Descent, and Landing. It even gets highlighted with the terminology not being Pilot and Co-Pilot but Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring. The Pilot Monitoring is pretty much dedicated to radios and general plane systems. I can see an argument for a single pilot for long haul once established in the cruise. But for the start and end phases of flight it really has to be two. Even some agencies looking into it are only looking at that long haul cruise section right now.

Well, who did you expect to fly commercial planes, plumbers?

I was in the fire service for a number of years and in a situation like that they either moved all other radio traffic to a different channel and kept the mayday where they were. You would think there would be an emergency center frequency that they could change the flight to and that would isolate the mayday aircraft and allow the center to talk them through the entire process without additional changes.

@@jhartlov My best guess is some combination of they don't have enough controllers to just keep one on standby for emergencies the whole time, and as it moves through different stages of the approach the controller in charge of that section of the approach and any other pilots need to hear so they know what the emergency plane is doing. It may be more about letting everyone else know to stay out of their way more than about their workload. Also, there is a frequency called GUARD that is always monitored by basically everyone that could probably function like that. Not a pilot, just know a bit about these things.

It's pretty amazing sometimes these controllers don't have like an understanding of what is going on. It's pretty clear right off the bat that they have a pressurization problem and they need to descend. And when they ask for a diversion to fort Myers their intention is probably to land in fort Myers.

​@MrLabbott Never assume. In emergencies, you always want the clearest, most definitive answer possible, as soon as possible. And double-check periodically, because circumstances change rapidly and you may not have been informed.

@@darkwater72 but bro he was ignorant , just like 9/11.

Amen

When you hear silence during a Mayday situation, just keep in mind that a pilot's priorities are, in order of priority 1) Aviate -fly the plane, 2) Navigate - figure out where you are and where you're headed, and 3) Communicate -talk with the controller. I was surprised at how often the controllers asked questions, especially when they got the answer only to have the next guy ask the same thing again.

@@JGlaister When the Mayday call is transferred from the first center to the next one to the destination for the Mayday plane is enroute, are the audios from one center to the next immediately available, & if not, why not?

@@JGlaister I believe the silence is trimmed from these recordings/ Whole thing could have taken thirty minutes+

Your comment makes it sound like you are suffering from hypoxia. Get checked out by a doctor.

Actually, the reason fire wants to know if the passenger masks deployed is because it is a potential fire hazard to open the door with the masks deployed and the oxygen candles burning. The pilots are, of course, on masks connected to oxygen tanks.

Masks auto deploy at 14,000 cabin altitude.

I think that's passenger oxygen. Pilot oxygen are designed to keep you alive *and able to fly*.

@@N1120A so, just assume that the masks have deployed, and if you later discover they haven’t, no problem. Asking the pilots to confirm something they can’t see from the flight deck, every three minutes is just interference.

Cargo compartment is not pressurized.

@YuriRosas_ Boeing 737 aircraft cargo bins are indeed pressurized. The full fuselage is the pressure vessel, it doesn't magically stop at the cabin floor.

Without pressurization you couldn’t carry any animals or transport certain cargo items.

Crazy

@@V1AbortV2 LOL? And men lack the judgment of their own abilities, that’s why so many men fly after their age where they shouldn’t be sitting behind the yoke anymore. Get out of here with those sexist comments! Apart from it just being absolutely sexist, she was on that plane as a passenger.

@@flomoose7315women can barely drive let alone fly 40k ft in the air

@@392chop8look at all the videos of women flying planes on here. They do just fine. Men cause way more fatalities when it comes to road accidents so gtfo with the “women can barely drive shit

Especially the gap between the Mayday call and the ATC confirming who was calling. I can't imagine what was going through his head right then. Seconds must have felt like minutes.

It does give some added confidence in the system so that's good. It's a shame so many are afraid to fly to the point it's almost debilitating. So much safer than any other form of transportation. I worked for a major years ago but now we strictly drive since we bought a sprinter type van to visit family across country. We avoid flying for many reasons, none of which are safety related but we also now have more time to take a scenic route. I hope you're looking forward to your next flight without any reservations, pardon the lame pun.

@@vanlifeonthego6684 🤣 pun made me laugh out loud! Thank you for the comment. I live in Ireland so whilst I hope one day to travel across the US by Amtrak and Europe and Asia by the many great rail services I will no doubt have to take a flight at some stage (or a two week cruise and that’s just as scary to me!) I’ve been terrified since childhood for no reason that I can recall but perhaps I saw a frightening movie or something. Videos like this really do help me to think rationally instead of pie in the sky (oops I did it too! 🤣) worst case scenario terms. I’ve also watched videos specifically aimed at fearful flyers and one thing has always stuck out as it made me laugh so hard - turbulence has always worried me. The thought you could end up in an “air pocket” and kablamo, you’re done for! This one guy explained there is no such thing. We dont walk around on the street and suddenly find ourselves in an air pocket gasping for breath! Understanding more means I will get on a plane again because life’s too short miss out on a beautiful world and I know I’m more likely to die every day I drive my car. Incidentally, hubby and I long to buy a van to convert and take some road trips across Europe. Enjoy the van and scenery. Safe travels 👍🏼

This is why pilots do as much training as they do. Yes it's for regular stuff like takeoff and landings, but it's the 1 in a million situations they're trying to address. Just look the movie "Sully". It's this type of situations that all the normal stuff is almost reflex so they can give more attention to the actual problem, and get everyone safely on the ground.

Air travel genuinely is the safest way to move about, exactly because of this.

I agree

Why wouldn't HE be calm? He is breathing just fine.

​ If you have ever been the contoller in this kind of situation you might understand why a controller might not sound calm. Each person reacts differently.

It was not God. It was pilots and ATC.

Love this! People put way too put trust in themselves which is prideful. Ultimately, you want God to be the one in control not us flawed humans.

@@Thislady-mg2gt Credit god for the depressurization too then please...

@@landsgevaer I can’t blame God for human error.

@@Thislady-mg2gt But sure you can. In your view, he created us knowing that human would make that error, surely!? But anyway, then you cannot credit him for a human saving the situation either. Double standards: sumtin good happens, god diddit; sumtin bad, not his fault.

they need that information for ground services and they need it to be precise. it's not like they are asking pilots about their dinner

The questions are always "when able" if they are too task saturated they can simply not answer. ATC is not monitoring all adjacent frequencies and information does not necessarily get passed along immediately to whoever the next controller in the chain is. Also asking the questions multiple times from multiple controllers each time gives the pilots plenty of opportunities to realize something they said may be incorrect also the situation can change in which case said question is no longer redundant. Assumptions get people killed.

Lol. Me too!

It does, and the sporadic problems with communications didn't help at all. But - it was essential that ATC learned what was going on so they could best direct and assist the American 329 flight crew.

I'm pretty sure I heard the pilot's sphincter chewing on the seat cushion like a horse with a bit.

That's ideal. In the event the masks drop, the ride to 10,000 feet will be dictated by the operational limits of the aircraft. I've never done it, but Kelsey on 74 Gear likens it to being on NASA's specially equipped 737 known affectionately as the "Vomit Comet." It affords the ability to operate in a briefly sustained zero-G environment without the expense of rockets. I think the word he used was "unsettling," and this is from a guy who flies 747s for a living. 😅 Glad you're alive to tell the tale. I always like first-hand accounts, even if they're not worthy of a documentary. Sometimes, a boring ending is a good thing.

@@DukeStarbuckle The stewardess said I looked distressed over the rapid descent and offered me another drink without me asking. I didn't even notice we were in a rapid descent. So I guess American Airlines or Alcoholics Anonymous would be correct :)

@@kdawson020279 👍♥🇺🇸

​@@kdawson020279Isn't there a point at a sustained decent where you no longer feel it as long as the rate stays the same?

@@devintariel3769 That's tricky. As long as the maneuvers stay within a certain margin of 1g, the concept of "inertial reference frame" kicks in once you acclimate. The problem with an emergency descent is that it typically doesn't last long enough to reach equilibrium, and you're experiencing a pressure gradient as well as experiencing lowered G forces. In a descent at 17 degrees nose down (which is where an Airbus will limit pitch under Normal Law), you're going to feel like you're on a roller coaster, except you're going to be on one with a roughly 20,000 foot first hill. NASA has a specially equipped (I wanna say 737) jet with a padded passenger compartment known as the Vomit Comet, used to simulate 0g by climbing and then descending rapidly; I imagine the sensation would be similar, although not necessarily as severe, as the goal of an emergency descent is to get to 10,000 feet in less than the time it takes supplemental oxygen to run out, and not to make everyone weightless for a minute or so at a time. I wish I had a better answer, but the OP here has experienced it and I haven't, so it's educated speculation on my part.

Shirley you can't be serious!

​@@stargazer2504 I am serious, and don't call me Shirley

Done that joke too many times!

Likely different protocol for emergency response if masked dropped. (Extra ambulances needed if pressure got to point masks dropped)

They're tough little planes!

My ex was soulless 😂

There are always more souls than passengers.

I wonder if they count the gingers onboard

Afaik they ask it that way because sometimes planes also transport corpses.

He was cuban...say no more. Lazy, arrogant, and machismo attitudes. Dangerous.

fr. with a few too many ums

Same 😂

I was looking for a comment like this😂

Last time I looked, the book said fuel in hours.

Endurance changes considerably with altitude. Quantity is quantity. ATC seems more interested in time, firefighters want to know quantity. The few times I declared I gave both.

I think they should write the flight number with the souls on-board on a yellow sticky note and put it on the emergency book the pilot not flying has. Right before push back. That would reduce workload in an emergency. The flight number is a catch in case they forget to write it down. they would recognize it is not the correct flight number. I also heard on another ATC posted video, where the all three "compasses" gave different readings. I think the pilots carry ipads, Maybe add a navagation app to the ipad with a compass, altitude and maps so they can compare, along with that all the airports could be added. Or each pilot could be issued a small GPS receiver with the airports added. Garmin has a small one that has GPS, Galleo and Glonass receivers in it, yes it would be a very bad day if all three failed. The airport call sign, runway length and max size of aircraft. I know it would not be FAA certified it would be a backup, backup but using a GPS receiver on a plane as a passenger the consumer grade ones are pretty accurate and there would be 2 for redundancy, that would get you close enough if everything went bad. You would only use them if the plane instruments failed. I thought they still had a manual compass in the middle of the flight deck, yes the old style one with the magnet and the fluid? Why would we need a third AOA sensor? That was sarcasm. Just a thought.

​@@MikeGranby a lot of emergency services want fuel in pounds or gallons as it let's then know how much foam they're going to need and hence how many fire trucks. Frankly it's stupid since you're going to send every truck you can man so unless you think you're going to need backup from mutual aid departments it's adding workload on overtaxed pilots for no real gain.

At least they called a mayday rather than declaring an emergency.

Better to get it from the source in these situations to avoid chinese whispers scenario.

Being verbose in a controlled way has benefits in stressful situations. Also matching the normal phrases has benefits in an emergency as the pilots are primed to hear them instead of suddenly having to remember the emergency communication process. Instead it’s ‘normal’ comms but just during an emergency. Trying to minimise process differences between normal and emergency is surprisingly important and useful.

However ATC was not way too verbose in this case. Pilot did say standby when he could not reply immediately.

Loss of pressurization is one of the few instances where I can't fault ATC for being overly chatty. Loss of consciousness happens in something like 2 minutes when cabin altitude hits 10,000 ft. The info needs to flow early and often. Yes, it increases pilot workload, but seconds matter.

Yes, lots of phraseology errors.

I think it’s less common in the US even though Mayday is still the international default. Meaning either will get the same result. I can imagine the pilot communicating just jumped straight to sending out the emergency call while focusing on something else given it took some time for ATC to get them to identify. They may have also jumped straight to Mayday if they’re used to flying internationally where other phrases may not be expected.

It is pretty rare. Mayday calls are usually reserved for very sudden and major emergencies. Most emergencies happen at a rate where the crew is already in communication with controllers about the situation and they can simply saying "declaring an emergency at this time".

A mayday is so rarely used. It’s reserved for the ultimate “oh, fuck!” situations.

​For those other situations pan pan is used.

Mayday is used only when there is an immediate danger to lifes. You don't call a mayday if you have minor issue that requires a return. There are levels on distress signals. Mayday is "code red." Others like "pan-pan-pan" and "emergendy" are orange and yellow.

Exactly.

Why you gotta be like this?

...and who knows what "Lossing" is?

That is a new English word invented just for this video by a natural genius.( not an AI)

La-hoo-Sa-her - Ace Ventura

Ofc you support Ukraine 😂😂 dying country

When the aircraft got to 10000 feet safely it wasn't an emergency anymore.

There are specific waypoints along a flight path, locations planes navigate to along a path from one airport to another. These waypoints have unique names. Once they reach one waypoint they navigate to the next until they are directed to their final airport destination. Sometimes pilots are told "cleared direct (waypoint name) which means they can navigate to that waypoint from wherever they are and then whatever waypoints are next leading to their airport destination.

That's not a bad idea, having like a 10 second replay. But I imagine it would cause confusion if they transmit at the same time you're listening to the playback

20 yrs ago they existed at my 911 center..great resource

We have those in 911 dispatch. Great resource during slower, commonplace events but not usually something that can be used in emergency situations like this. It is oftentimes faster just asking the unit to repeat

I know right? That's why i'm only subscribed to this channel, i know i'm going to get the same from 3 more channels so i only watch one

They did say emergency descent. Another plane heard it but due to the masks the controller missed it.

Aviate, Navigate, Communicate

ATC: Interrogate, Interrogate, Interrogate

​​@@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549ATC is often unfairly criticized in these videos by viewers who forget that time is condensed so it often sounds like non-stop comms between the pilot monitoring and ATC. Much of the criticism of ATC also comes from people who are not pilots, and who do not understand the relevance of questions asked by controllers.

@@dalydegagne1839 are you a pilot or an air traffic controller?

I'm sure ATC is just as surprised and we don't know what other traffic is in the area that ATC is trying to get the MAYDAY aircraft out of a potential conflict.

Humans are like that. But the human on the other side also has a voice. I've garbled a heading in the air, and so has anyone who has ever flown. I had an instructor call in a position report to a tower saying we were 10 miles east, when we were 10 miles west. It's no biggie. You just keep flying and make the correction.

In this case, when the heading is 180 off it is because of how the controller made an input. There is a function used to give a mileage and heading from any two points. Point A should be the Aircraft, and point B the destination. If the opposite is done you get the reciprocal heading, which is what seems like happened.

In all Mayday situations. it is the pilot who determines where ,when,how to fly , not ATC. ATC is just there to provide assistance

He heard an aircraft call mayday, basically yell “descending to 10k” and then go silent. For all he knows, the side of the airplane just blew off and he just heard their last words. It’s pretty normal to be a bit flustered after that happens to a person.

*any

I think they can descend around 8k-9k a minute. So just under 3 minutes.

​@@bart1950They can descend a lot faster than the regular rating. And I think they could go even higher than that and not break apart but will probably be written off. That 747 that went into a dive that one time yikes.