![]() ![]() ![]() Such symptoms can include "tunnel vision, nausea, euphoria, dizziness, tingling, fatigue and loss of coordination," according to Glenn Harmon, an aerospace physiologist and assistant professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle. The and I believed it to be a brake or a false takeoff warning horn in conjunction with the auto brake, since we had experienced two earlier, similar horns."īut then, the captain reported, "I began to feel some symptoms of hypoxia." In a December 1995 flight during a daylight departure from Las Vegas to Omaha, Neb., the captain of a 737-300 with 133 passengers reported, "A warning horn was experienced. So, we worked with Boeing to change the after-takeoff procedures to include specific checks of pressurization switches."īut Travel Weekly's analysis of ASRS data indicates that pilot confusion about the horn long predated the warning from Irish authorities. The FAA decided at that time that it was best to focus on reducing the likelihood of a depressurization event, rather than on improving the warning system. Unfortunately, Dorr said, the agency was distracted by another, more urgent pressurization issue with the 737: "At the time, the FAA was investigating a number of reports of airplanes failing to pressurize during climb due to improperly set pressurization switches. The FAA had known about the 737 horn confusion since a year before the Helios 522 crash, thanks to "a safety recommendation from the Irish accident investigation authorities in 2004, recommending addition of a warning light to accompany the warning horn," said FAA spokesman Les Dorr. "One of the classic problems we have in general with warning horns is people tend to ignore them," said Bill Waldock, professor of safety science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Equipment problems, such as alarms sounding when they shouldn't or failing to sound when they should, accounted for about a quarter of the 100 incidents involving warning horns cited in the ASRS from the mid-1990s through February, according to Travel Weekly's analysis of the data. Pilots have frequently misinterpreted the in-flight warning as an indication of a preflight danger that is no longer a concern and have thus considered it a false alarm.Īdding to the confusion is the fact that pilots often contend with false alarms and related pressurization equipment miscues in flight. Before takeoff, it warns pilots if the aircraft is not configured properly for flight. Perhaps the most important is that in the 737, the horn serves a dual purpose and thus is an ambiguous alarm. And in fact, there are several reasons why this is happening. ![]() It might seem counterintuitive that commercial pilots, a group that prides itself on emphasizing safety and professionalism, would simply ignore an alarm when the consequences are so potentially deadly. In fact, pilots kept ignoring the horn even after the FAA, prompted by the Helios 522 crash, issued an emergency airworthiness directive the following year requiring more emphasis, in manuals and in training, on heeding the alarm. I don't think it's something people just ignore."īut ignoring the horn is exactly what Boeing 737 pilots have been doing for years, even after it became known that the Helios 522 crash was caused by the crew's failure to respond properly to the warning, with such deadly consequences. I don't think anyone takes the cabin altitude horn lightly. "That warning is very important to pilots. Karen Kahn, a longtime commercial jet pilot and author of the book "Flight Guide for Success: Tips and Tactics for the Aspiring Airline Pilot," said of pressurization problems that can result in hypoxia. "It's considered one of the mega-emergencies," Capt. The latest came late last month, when the agency mandated briefings instructing pilots to heed the altitude horns.Īt the same time, Boeing began building an improved altitude warning system into its new 737s as it proceeds with plans to retrofit the more than 5,000 737s already in service with FAA-approved signal kits. However, the FAA has taken several proactive steps since the crash. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.What could be safer than staying in the U.S.? Is it safer to travel abroad than to stay home? Let's look at the data.They became the core of what he calls the. Del Rio traveled the country to meet advisors with the line's top accounts. How 'elite' advisors are shaping the direction of Oceania Cruises Frank A.Airline exec: To increase island-hopping, this needs to be fixed Trevor Sadler of InterCaribbean Airways lamented the sky-high taxes and fees that Caribbean governments are charging: "When the.How do river products differ for Europeans and North Americans? Some of the differences can be found in preferred trip length, seasonality and price and what's included in the fare.
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