A plane full of terrified passengers was forced into making an emergency descent after the cabin experienced a “rapid decompression”, causing oxygen masks to fall.
United flight 4166 was at around 40,000ft over Ohio when it suffered an issue, as the pilot was forced to rapidly descend 10,000 ft. Some passengers posted on X after the shock experience to celebrate the job by cabin crew in keeping people calm during the incident.
At around 7.45am local time the pilot contacted air traffic control as warning lights came on in the cockpit. In the main cabin, emergency masks dropped from the ceiling.
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One passenger wrote on X: “Yo United, your crew did an amazing job with this (rapid depressurization) and unexpected visit to Detroit. Seriously! Flight Attendant did a fabulous job, kept everyone calm.”
The plane had been on its way to Chicago before the decompression forced the pilot’s hand. After the incident, it diverted to Detroit where the passengers left the plane safely, LehighValley News reported. No injuries were reported.
Last week, hundreds of passengers were injured after abandoning a flight using inflatable slides. Those on board were forced to suddenly evacuate on Friday after a Delta Air Lines jet bound for Minneapolis aborted its takeoff at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The plane had experienced an engine problem, a Delta spokesperson said. The incident happened while a snowstorm was causing widespread cancellations and delays in Atlanta, the world’s busiest airport. Officials have not confirmed if the problem had anything to do with the freezing weather currently gripping parts of the US.
The 201 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants aboard evacuated the Boeing 757-300 using inflatable slides and were taken back to a concourse by bus. One of the four injured passengers was taken to a hospital, while three were treated at the airport for minor injuries.
Elsewhere, in Melbourne Airport, an Etihad plane with almost 300 passengers on board was forced to abort take-off after two wheels exploded. Etihad Airways flight EY461, bound for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, was moments from take-off when the incident happened.
Footage taken at Melbourne Airport shows the Boeing 787 jet surrounded by fire trucks – and foam was applied on the landing gear as a precaution. No injuries were reported and all 289 passengers disembarked safely, returning to the terminal, the airline said. The incident led to delays to both departures and arrivals as the runway at the Australian airport was closed.
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