Several of my friends warned against taking a flight in the midst of "Nemo" -- Friday night's nor'easter -- but I readily discounted their advice as alarmist. After all, I've traveled over a million miles, hundreds of flights, over the course of my life -- without a single incident -- so what could possibly go wrong?
Well, yesterday's trip on United Airline's flight 473 from Newark to Fort Lauderdale turned into a hellish ride, when the plane suddenly went through an emergency pressurization procedure.
The problem wasn't the snow accumulation in Newark, but some yet-explained technical glitch (about a half hour away from our destination) that triggered previously unimaginable fear and panic.
Here are a few photos I was able to take while the emergency was underway:
Flight attendant dons oxygen mask and encourages passengers to do the same.
When asked about her experience in this kind of situation, the attendant responded,
"In 24 years, I've never had to do this! ... And today of all days. It's my birthday!"
Fellow passengers on flight UA473 secure their oxygen masks.
Pressed late Friday night for a comment, a United spokesperson offered the following explanation:
Dear Mr. Ferrara:
I sincerely regret the circumstances in which you had to contact us and truly appreciate you sharing your experience with me. I am even more relieved to hear that the flight landed safely.
I have verified from our Flight Attendant's Operational Manual that when there is an emergency declared, the pilots do not communicate directly with the customers as this valuable time is needed to assess the situation and assure a safe landing. The captain will alert the lead/purser onboard of the emergency. If there are instructions to be enforced, the pilot will relay the message to the lead/purser on what actions need to be taken, The lead/purser will in turn give the commands to the assengers. The other flight attendants will go through the cabin to ensure that everyone adheres to the instructions or assist customers in need. Once the aircraft has landed safely the captain will make an announcement and or notify the lead/purser to announce further instructions. I understand the way in which the captain tried to make light of the situation did not sit well with everyone; and I truly apologize that it made you feel uneasy. It is of great comfort to know that the inflight crew handled the situation in a professional manner and eased the tension onboard. May I ask that when you do have time to please relay your experience with them in writing as I would love to share this with the inflight manager. Although the flight officers' role are to assess and rectify the situation for a safe landing and the inflight crew are responsible for the passengers in all cabins; what you stated on how the captain handled the communication once declared safe disturbs me. Please be assured that your concerns will not go unnoticed. I will forward your comments to the senior management so they understand how this experience felt from your point of view.
While researching the above procedures, our ProTeam had initiated a special flight report and sent out emails to all customers onboard Flight 473, inviting them to visit our appreciation website at www.united.com/appreciation for goodwill compensation. It seems that the aircraft loss pressurization on descent; the oxygen masks deploy automatically when this occurs. The smoke in the cabin you witnessed is mist that is released during a sudden pressurization.
Albeit no emergency was declared, my heartfelt compassion goes out to each and every one of you as I cannot even begin to imagine what you all went through.
Mr. Ferrara, as a Premier 1K you have traveled enough to know that United's first and foremost priority is number one. However, the manner is which the flight officers handled the communication once under control should have been handled more professionally. Again, I am truly sorry this left you with discomfort and distress. If there is anything else I can assist you with please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Customer Care
So, was there an "emergency" or not? (United's Customer Care is all over the place on that one.)
Whatever the incident turns out to be, I'd like to note that the flight attendants were extremely composed and professional throughout the entire process -- particularly lead flight attendant, Michelle Hunter, who is to be commended for maintaining a calm (but stern) demeanor. (She held it all together.)
As a smoky odor filled the cabin, my biggest gripe was with the crew's failure to provide ongoing announcements as to the "cause" of the cabin's depressurization or whatever triggered the entire chain of events. To say the least, this passenger wasn't pleased with the conspicuous silence, as it only added to the drama. (There was little reassurance from the cockpit, until long after the potential crisis had been underway and it was readily apparent that the aircraft had been stabilized and that any serious problem had been averted.)
It's not like what you see in the movies, folks. The guys up front weren't communicating with us. And that, in my view, made the experience even more harrowing than it needed to be.
While I'm glad to be alive, and am grateful the plane landed safely, I must confess I am extremely angry. Angry that I keep reliving the hellish experience in my mind. Angry that I wasn't able to get a good night's sleep. Angry that my confidence in United -- and flying, in particular --has been shattered.
Don't know how long it'll take to recover from this whole experience, but United's sure got a lot of explaining to do.
Not the last thing you want to see ....