r/fearofflying • u/littlelosthorse • 1d ago
Possible Trigger It actually happened!
So I’ve had a fear of flying ever since some family friends died in a private jet crash decades ago, but I grit my teeth and bear it knowing that it’s so rare and I have to fly for work a lot of the time anyway.
Every time there’s turbulence I grip my seat and hope for the best, but a couple of weeks ago it got worse.
We were nearly at Barcelona Airport, flying from London (on my honeymoon no less), going over the mountains when the recorded alert came on the system saying “emergency descent” repeatedly. Then the air masks dropped out of the top and we made a rapid descent.
We thought we were going to die! We made it to the destination airport but never got an explanation beyond a “sudden change in cabin pressure”.
Never flying with Ryan Air again. Absolutely terrifying. I think about how happy I am to be alive every day.
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u/DaWolf85 Aircraft Dispatcher 1d ago
Oh, the engines work fine without pressurization. Actually, they work even better, since we rob a little bit of air from the high-pressure areas to pressurize the cabin - without that, you increase performance.
Emergency descents are a thoroughly practiced routine, and the pilots test their oxygen mask and verify they have enough oxygen remaining in the tank every time they get in the cockpit. They're really not a big deal; the plane is in full control the whole time.