Photo: Twitter / Satish Nair
Last week ended on a very sour note for passengers of a Boeing 737 belonging to Jet Airways. Flight 9W 697 took off from Mumbai, destination Jaipur, but was forced to land immediately after take-off when passengers began bleeding from the ears and nose.
They weren’t stricken with some kind of mysterious illness: according to many accounts from the passengers themselves circulating on Twitter and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot “forgot” to pressurize the cabin.
In other words, the plane took off and reached a certain altitude, but the pilot didn’t remember to flick a switch. The BBC reports that the plane landed immediately afterwards, but not before oxygen masks deployed and passengers had to use them.
Once all passengers were taken off the plane, they received medical assistance. While authorities have already confirmed that this was the pilot’s fault because he “forgot” a very important procedure, the company is playing coy about it in its first statement.
Jet Airways admits that something went wrong with the flight but it doesn’t lay the blame at the pilot’s door. In fact, it says the incident was due to “loss of cabin pressure,” which would imply there was pressure to lose in the first place.
“The B737 aircraft, with 166 guests and 5 crew landed normally in Mumbai. All guests were deplaned safely and taken to the terminal. First aid was administered to few guests who complained of ear pain, bleeding nose etc,” the airline says in a statement on Twitter.
That’s the opposite of what passengers are saying. Some recall there was no immediate medical assistance when they got off the plane and that there was definitely no warning about needing to use the oxygen masks while still on board.
The aviation ministry has suspended the entire cockpit crew until the investigation concludes.
In other words, the plane took off and reached a certain altitude, but the pilot didn’t remember to flick a switch. The BBC reports that the plane landed immediately afterwards, but not before oxygen masks deployed and passengers had to use them.
Once all passengers were taken off the plane, they received medical assistance. While authorities have already confirmed that this was the pilot’s fault because he “forgot” a very important procedure, the company is playing coy about it in its first statement.
Jet Airways admits that something went wrong with the flight but it doesn’t lay the blame at the pilot’s door. In fact, it says the incident was due to “loss of cabin pressure,” which would imply there was pressure to lose in the first place.
“The B737 aircraft, with 166 guests and 5 crew landed normally in Mumbai. All guests were deplaned safely and taken to the terminal. First aid was administered to few guests who complained of ear pain, bleeding nose etc,” the airline says in a statement on Twitter.
That’s the opposite of what passengers are saying. Some recall there was no immediate medical assistance when they got off the plane and that there was definitely no warning about needing to use the oxygen masks while still on board.
The aviation ministry has suspended the entire cockpit crew until the investigation concludes.
Panic situation due to technical fault in @jetairways 9W 0697 going from Mumbai to Jaipur. Flt return back to Mumbai after 45 mts. All passengers are safe including me. pic.twitter.com/lnOaFbcaps
— Darshak Hathi (@DarshakHathi) September 20, 2018
@jetairways Flight 9W 697 made an emergency landing back in Mumbai. Airplane lost pressure immediately after taking off...scores of passengers including me bleeding from nose....no staff to help...no announcement on board to wear the oxygen mask.passengersafety completelyignored pic.twitter.com/vO9O95aMCP
— Satish Nair (@satishnairk) September 20, 2018
Jet Airways statement on flight 9W 697 of 20th September 2018. pic.twitter.com/D99vyFFIv2
— Jet Airways (@jetairways) September 20, 2018
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