Greek Plane Crash

[fredjacksonsan]

Originally Posted by ec437

Oh, and about the useful time of conciousness: at cruising altitude, those little masks they provide you will not keep you awake. If a depressurization occurs at the normal crusing altitude (I believe around 35,000') the pilots have about 10 seconds to drop the plane more than a mile to less than 29,000' without passing out. Conveniently, however, if you point a plane downwards, it tends to drop like a jet-propelled rock.

Here's a chart on TUC(time of useful consciousness:

Altitude (ft) -- TUC w/o oxygen
40,000 -- 15 seconds
35,000 -- 20 seconds
30,000 -- 30 seconds
28,000 -- 1 minute
26,000 -- 2 minutes
24,000 -- 3 minutes
22,000 -- 6 minutes
20,000 -- 10 minutes
15,000 -- Indefinite

TUC is cut in half in a rapid decompression situation.

Check out:
http://avstop.com/medical/AnEncounteWithHypoxia.htm
and
http://www.koyn.com/CloudDancer/articles/23KJump99.html


The masks WILL keep you awake, if you get them on in time.

[lazysmurff]

wait wait wait...

if it got cold enough to freeze the bodies inside, wouldnt the windows have fogged over, thus preventing the fighter pilots from seeing inside?

im no physicist, but it does seem a little odd.

[Flatrater]

Sudden decompression is painful I should know it was one of the inspections I did when I worked for the airlines. I use to do this test on the ground and I never did a full decompression since it would blow out your ear drums on the ground.

A normal decompresion or one that is commanded takes less than 30 seconds. The higher up you are the harder it is on you. This doesn't allow much time to get the mask on and for the pilots who are trying to fly the plane is even harder. The pilots are well trained.

[fredjacksonsan]

Originally Posted by lazysmurff

wait wait wait...

if it got cold enough to freeze the bodies inside, wouldnt the windows have fogged over, thus preventing the fighter pilots from seeing inside?

im no physicist, but it does seem a little odd.

Possibly, but they would clear in time as the plane descended; there's no mention of the altitude that the military planes intercepted.

Also, check out the window next time you fly; they are double paned to reduce or eliminate fogging.

[Flatrater]

I've changed lots of windows in the larger planes and they are not double paned. The cockpit windows are but not the passengfer windows.

[fredjacksonsan]

Yeah? Cool, they always looked double to me. How are they actually constructed?