Air travel can be really stressful for some. The whole idea of being trapped in a metal box that’s going to be miles above the ground is not exactly an appealing idea when you look at it like that. And though most of the times it is a much more efficient mode of transportation than any other, the number of things that could go wrong on a flight is a scary thought. Hence it is of the utmost importance that those responsible, take every measure possible to ensure the safety of their passengers.
Passengers on a Jet Airways flight travelling from Mumbai to Jaipur today morning had a traumatic experience due to the irresponsibility of the crew.
Jet Airways flight number 9W 0697 was turned back to Mumbai after half of the passengers on board experienced bleeding from their noses and ears.
According to ANI, this occurred due to the crew forgetting to turn on the switch that maintains cabin pressure.
30 out of 166 passengers on board experienced nose and ear bleeds, and some complained of headaches as a result:
A Jet Airways Mumbai-Jaipur flight was turned back to Mumbai mid-air today as, during the climb, crew forgot to select switch to maintain cabin pressure. 30 out of 166 pax experienced nose&ear bleeding, some also complained of headache. They're are being treated at Mumbai airport
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2018
Speaking to ANI, a passenger on board, Darshak Hathi claims that as they took off, the AC started malfunctioning, followed by the air pressure system. He also says that soon the oxygen masks came out.
He also tweeted a video from inside the flight:
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
As per reports, the crew has been taken off duty and an investigation has been launched into the incident according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The Economic Times quotes the DGCA as such:
“During climb, the crew forgot to select the bleed switch, due to which cabin pressurisation could not be maintained. As a result, oxygen masks got deployed.”
The affected passengers were given medical attention after the Boeing 737 aircraft landed back in Mumbai. The flight which was scheduled to leave Mumbai at 5.55 a.m. was then rescheduled to 10.30 a.m.
What a horrifying experience that must’ve been for those on board. You can see the tension on their faces in the video above. This is incident does not fair well for Jet Airways, as it adds to the line of mishaps they’ve had lately.