30 People On This Flight Suffered Nosebleeds Because Of Crew's Mistake
One of the passengers is looking to take legal action against the airline.
By Alyssa J. Oon — 21 Sep 2018, 07:25 PM
On 20 September, 30 passengers on a Jet Airways flight to Jaipur from Mumbai, India, suffered bleeding from their noses and ears because the crew allegedly forgot to regulate cabin air pressure
The flight of 166 passengers had to turn back to Mumbai to provide medical attention to those affected.
According to an official with India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the crew members had allegedly forgotten to press a button that pressurises the cabin.
"During (the) climb, (the) crew forgot to select (the) 'bleed switch' due to which cabin pressurisation could not be maintained, and oxygen masks got deployed," the official told CNN.
India Today outlined the purpose for the 'bleed switch': "Hot, high-pressure air, called bleed air from a plane's engines is cooled in a multi-step process, and mixed with air that's already in the cabin."
Passengers said there was panic onboard the plane as they had no idea what was happening
In an AFP report, a passenger claimed the pilot did not make any announcement and only told them that the flight would turn back to Mumbai.
"I was in the business class and the oxygen mask came down suddenly. One passenger came running from the back asking everyone to put on the masks," the unnamed passenger said.
"All the passengers were panicking, those sitting at the back and who were unable to wear the masks started bleeding from their mouths and noses."
Another passenger posted up a video of the situation on their Twitter account with the handle @DarshakHathi, which can be viewed here:
Five passengers suffered "mild conductive deafness" from the pressure and had to be transported to a nearby hospital
The five passengers had to be transported to Dr Balabhai Nanavati Hospital for treatment, reported NDTV.
A preliminary examination by ENT doctors found that all five male passengers suffered "barotrauma" of the ear, which is caused due to a change in air pressure.
"The five patients, all men, have mild conductive deafness, a temporary condition which is likely to take a week or 10 days to heal. They are advised not to fly till then," said Dr Balabhai Nanavati Hospital chief operating officer Rajendra Patankar.
"They are under observation and are stable. It seems there is no need for their admission in hospital. They are undergoing all required tests," he added.
One of the passengers who was brought to the hospital has since demanded compensation for "lack of proper care"
Sources revealed to NDTV that the passenger had demanded for Rs 30 lakh (approximately RM171,500) and 100 vouchers for an upgrade to business class.
The passenger had already claimed compensation for accommodation, revealed the source, and has threatened to seek legal recourse over the incident.
Jet Airways had made headlines earlier this year for another embarrassing incident involving its crew
In the incident that happened mid-flight on New Year's Day, the co-pilots had a fight which resulted in one of them leaving the cockpit.
Passengers on the London-Mumbai flight told local media that the male pilot allegedly slapped the female pilot.
The female pilot left the cockpit in tears, but colleagues eventually persuaded her to go back, reported BBC. Both pilots were later fired.