DISCLAIMER – I am not planning on smashing the window on an airplane.

  • NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    It depends very much on the height.

    If we assume a jet flight at around 30.000 feet:

    The cabin pressure goes down immediately, that means, a very strong wind goes out of this open window. Several eardrums burst. (Stupid people panic and cry). Afterwards people cannot breathe normally because of the low pressure… They need these air masks.

    Then the pilot descends immediately to something like 5.000 feet - I don’t know exactly - where everybody can breathe normally again.

    And then you land at the next airport.

    • glimse@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Stupid people panic and cry

      I’m not sure I’d call it STUPID to panic when something extremely scary happens to you…

      • Dark Arc@social.packetloss.gg
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        4 days ago

        I mean, I wouldn’t exactly call it smart either. Panic is pretty useless in situations where flight is not an option (in the flight or fight sense … but it makes for a good pun too).

        • glimse@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          I wouldn’t call it smart either but to look down on someone who freaks out when an airplane window blows out seems a bit much lol

          • NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            No. Wrong.

            It is clear and simple in that order of events that we are describing here: the ones who panic and the ones who don’t. And so I describe them with clear and simple words. That other guy who always looks for some grey areas in between and then makes lots of buts and long winding arguments, he is just not there. No time for him, no place for him.

            He maybe comes afterwards, when all is over and I don’t care anymore, and that’s what I do with you now.

            • glimse@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              Oh ok you’re right it is binary. I now understand that if you are stupid if you aren’t 100% calm during a very stressful situation. Thank you for the explanation.

    • Skunk
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      4 days ago

      Standard procedure is max FL100 or 10 000 ft.

      But if you are flying over mountains (FL180 for the Alps highest safe flight level) you are fucked.

      Well no, there are oxygen masks and the pilots will immediately put them on and then dive toward a safer altitude at a controlled but fast rate of descent (more eardrums bursts) as well as clearing the high terrain area ASAP.

      Airbus Procedure is basically “Pull everything on the MCP !”:

      • masks on for both pilots,
      • checks interphone com with your Captain/FO.
      • On the MCP, autopilot set altitude to max FL100 or below (above if mountains), pull for open descent,
      • pull for HDG and go off track (outside the airway to avoid collisions).
      • Pull for max Speed or appropriate (not in managed mode anymore, this will change your rate of descent).
      • Speedbrakes max.
      • Transponder 7700
      • Then you can call Mayday on radio.
      • You also check that the masks had been automatically lowered in the cabin at that point.

      And A320 should descent at around 7000ft per minute. At that rate you start to feel that the ground is getting perpendicular to you on the window. Could be more or less, it’s the pilot choice and how much he is willing to stress an airframe that just had an explosive decompression.

      Rapid decompressions are very rare events tho. Except maybe on 737 max.