Airplane's Cabin Door Blows Open At 500 Feet

[matcom]

<snip>

A Cape Air flight from Boston to Nantucket was cruising at 500 feet earlier this month when a cabin door suddenly blew upen, sending wind rushing in and frightening passengers.

''All of a sudden the wind was whipping through the plane," said Calley Cutler of Salem, N.H., who was on the Aug. 11 flight in an eight-person Cessna 402 with her husband. ''I was never so scared in my entire life. I didn't know what was happening."

A spokeswoman for Cape Air said the incident wasn't considered an emergency and that passengers were never in danger because the cabin was not pressurized.

''It can be a bit disconcerting for passengers when they hear the noise coming from outside, but this was not an emergency by any stretch of the imagination," said Michelle Haynes, a spokeswoman for Cape Air.

The FAA, which met the plane on the ground when it safely returned to Logan International Aiport, determined that the door hadn't been locked properly, according to Arlene Salac, an FAA spokeswoman. ''It's standard procedure for a plane with a door ajar to return, open and re-close the door to see if it's working properly and then continue on with the flight," she said.

But, Cutler criticized Cape Air's handling of the accident, saying she and her husband were terrified throughout the 25-minute flight and disputed the airline's contention that the pilot assured the passengers that they weren't in any danger.

''We grabbed onto one another and were holding each other's hands," Cutler said. ''I was praying the whole time."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/08/26/midflight_mishap_terrifies_passengers/

[boobooday]

1. You would definitely think you were going to die

Jesus. That's scary.

[GOPisEvil]

2. That Lowell is going to be in BIG TROUBLE!

[Lavender Brown]

3. Yeek

:scared:

The smallest amount of turbulence freaks me out.

[Endangered Specie]

4. You could say that door is a little premature.

[Endangered Specie]

5. Do these airplanes not have "door ajar" alarms?...

Hell most cars Ive been in makes some sort of irritating sound when you leave a door cracked on it.

[Frodo]

6. Yeah, but it probably just turns the cabin lights on

and they were already on.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. What. they're worried about problems at 500 feet with an open door?

Cripes. What the hell are they araid of? Mussed hair?

Fools.

[fudge stripe cookays]

8. This scares the crap out of me...

not as bad as this one though.

Anyone remember Aloha Air?
http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/aloha243/5.shtml

Much higher, over the ocean, and 1 flight attendant got sucked out. GOD I hate flying.

FSC

[SarahB]

9. If the cabin door blows....

Does it still get to be part of the mile high club? :7

[underpants]

10. Nantucket? Oh that would be Lowell he always screws things up

[Lavender Brown]

16. lol

I had forgotten about "Wings."

[GOPisEvil]

19. I should have included a picture!

Dammit! I was trying to be first with the "Wings" reference.

[underpants]

20. Sorry I missed your post (BTW-he was the original "Will")

as in "Will and Grace" Thomas Haden Church left Wings (exactly how many episodes DID they film??) for a show called "Ned and Stacey" on Fox. It was an early incarnation of Grace Adler (Debra Messing) except they played a divorced couple who lived together because they couldn't afford two NYC rents-"Ned" was replaced by "Will" and was gay, as you might have been able to tell. Very interesting development of a show.


http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-557/Ned_and_Stacey/

[yellowcanine]

11. "passengers were never in danger " WTF? Well that's one airline I

won't be flying on. If they don't think an open cabin door at any altitude isn't a danger to passengers I think I don't want any part of their criteria of what constitutes danger.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Ever been on top of a hill or on a mountain or in a tall building?

If so, you were at 500 feet, or more likely higher if on a mountain.

Does't matter if you're 500 feet above sea level on a plane or on land, the atmosphere is the same.

[yellowcanine]

14. The atmospheric pressure isn't the issue here. Flying with an open door

is. Suppose a flock of geese flies in the open door? I don't know about you, but I'd rather not kiss a goose at 200 mph or however fast these planes are flying.

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. a flock of geese flying through a side door?

Even a single goose - ain't gonna happen. Might be able to get one to fly into the windshield, or into an engine, if you aim for it (or possibly accidentally).

But a goose (or any other bird) is not going to fly through a door that's open on the side of the plane.

[WoodrowFan]

13. understatement of the year award

understatement of the year award (non-political division) "'It can be a bit disconcerting for passengers...." No S**T Sherlock!!

[Ready4Change]

15. Passengers would be scared, but...

For that type of plane, at that altitude, it's not a real safety issue. The pressure difference (if any) isn't enough to suck anyone out. The plane won't be flying fast enough for the wind to do any real harm. The door is on the side of the fuselage so "geese" or anything else won't be flying in.

During my private pilot training, door opening in flight was covered. The training went like this:

(During takeoff, my instructor opens the door)
(Lots of wind and noise)
Me: AHHHHH!
Instructor: Watcha gonna do?
Me: Die?
Instructor: Funny, you look alright for a dead guy.
Me: Hey, we're still flying fine.
Instructor: Yeah, it's just noisy. Don't freak. Just fly the plane and close the door when you get a free moment. No big deal.
(Instructor closes the door.)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

17. Good thing it was so low

imagine that happening at 35,000 feet

:scared:

[TrogL]

21. It only goes to 26,000

http://www.risingup.com/planespecs/info/airplane161.shtml

[DS1]

18. Well, seeing that Rambo didn't get hung up on the door latch, I"m cool

[flamingyouth]

22. I'm flying in two weeks

I shouldn't have clicked on this thread.:scared:

[HEyHEY]

23. Oh yeah, definately not an emergency

:eyes:

I wanna be a pro-bullshitter too!

[Xithras]

25. Why do so many people think this is a big deal?

I've flown an ULTRALIGHT above 500 feet before, with no protection other than a polyester flight suit and a pair of goggles. I can understand how these people could be startled by an airplane door suddenly popping open, but the passengers were in no danger whatsoever.

As for the comments about geese flying in, keep in mind that the 402 is so small that a bird strike ANYWHERE, even with the door closed, could do serious damage to the plane. The door being cracked open added no danger that didn't already exist.

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. because so many people live in ignorance of how things work

and prefer to have their emotions drive their sense of logic.

They hear "Door flew open", and that's it. They refuse to hear "at 500 feet, about as high above sea level as Rabrrrrrr's old office" and "cabin wasn't pressurized" and "nantucket to martha's vineyard" and blah blah blah.

All they know is they heard once that if ANYTHING on a plane opened up, EVERYONE is automatically sucked out. (also showing that they don't realize there is no "sucking" force, there is only a blowing force)

It's the same mentality that can't understand why every school building isn't built to withstand nuclear attacks and plane crashes. Or who hear that "tall buildings sway in the wind" and cry out for "better safety".

basically, it's willing stupidity.

I can't tell you how many times I was at 500 feet without a safety container wrapped around me, since for the first 23 years of my life I lived in a place at about 900+ feet above sea level.

I guess everyone in the midwest, the mountains, etc., should all be given pressurized safety suits.