Why when a plane is crashing you should put your mask on first before you put it on the child?

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Eclipsepearl

Please, please, please don't think that just because the masks deploy, that it means you're crashing! The chances are, you're not. They will deploy if there is a problem with the pressurization inside the aircraft. The problem could just be that system. The plane can still be fine to fly. It would sort of be like saying that your house is going to fall down because your heating system doesn't work. Uncomfortable? Yes.Something that needs repairing? Yes but there is probably no real risk.

Jet airplanes normally fly at an altitude that is too high to breathe normally. Oxygen has to be added and if it isn't, you need the masks.

Like the others said, hypoxia can set in fast. Your brain loses oxygen and control of your body. Get that mask on quickly and then help the child(ren). The scary part is that the person is not conscience of it. Many start laughing and go a little crazy. They may not even realize that there is a danger and that they can no longer control their functions.

We watched a flim on this in Flight Attendant training and discussed it at length. They had women in the film trying to put on lipstick and getting it all over their faces as well as others trying similar simple tasks without success. Funny? Yes but scary at the same time. It was a controlled experiment, and stopped before the volunteers passed out. They quickly came "to" once they breathed normal air.

Meanwhile, in the cockpit, a decompressuirization will be treated as an emergency, although no life is technically in danger. They will lower the altitude to a level where everyone can breathe and land at the nearest airport. The pilots, by the way, have masks hooked to the microphone so they can still talk to the ground.

You can also have a slow decompressurization. This is rare and the masks will deploy but many will wonder why. They may not feel the affects yet. It's less dramatic but the same procedure runs. You put on your mask first, help the child(ren) and the plane will lower altitude and land as soon as it can do so.

In my 13 years of flying, we only had this once with the airlines I worked for. I knew some of the crew. They said it was more weird than scary, and physically, a little uncomfortable. Their lives were never in danger.

Flying is really safe and I never had any sort of emergency happen on any of my flights. Things can go wrong on airplanes though, and it isn't necessarily life-threatening.

Please continue to pay attention to the safety demos before each flight. Statistically, it increases your chances of surviving if anything goes wrong.

Bandett

that is so you dont pass out first . then you could not put the mask on your child. Thus nither of you woud ever get a mask on . and die because you could not breath.

ethansma24

In a rapid decompression, it doesn't take long for hypoxia to set in. If you take the time to put the mask on your child first, you may pass out in the process. If you haven't fully achieved putting the mask on your child, there is a chance that neither one of you would make it. If you take the 2 seconds to put your own mask on first, then you should be able to fully understand and do the act of putting the mask on your child properly.

Allen A

A plane dosen't have to be crashing for the oxygen masks to deploy. This is done when there is a sudden drop in cabin air pressure. If this happens you have about twelve seconds to put on your mask. If you try putting a mask on a child or another person first you could lose consciousness before puting on your own mask.

Techwing

Yes, you should always put your own mask on first.

The reason is that, at high altitudes, you'll pass out within a few seconds. If you don't put your mask on immediately, you'll pass out before you can help your child, and you'll both suffer from a lack of oxygen, with the possibility of permanent brain damage or death.

If you put your mask on first, you'll immediately have oxygen to keep you awake, and then you can put a mask on your child. Even if your child passes out before you put on the mask, once the mask is on he'll wake up, and the few seconds that pass without oxygen will not harm him.

Deployment of the oxygen masks doesn't mean that the plane is crashing, by the way. It just means that the pressurization inside the airplane has failed. Usually the masks will come out and the plane will descend rapidly to a lower altitude where you don't need a mask.

ttl

well if you can't breathe then and go unconscious you wont be able to help your kid.

A380 ROX!!!!!

yeah, because if there is a loss of oxygen then what good will it be if you can breathe? you won't be fully functioned when helping him. therefore they tell you "put yours on"-make sure you can breathe and are fully functional then help somebody else. hope this helps.

Jenni_a

Is this true? Thats well bad i never knew this!

tiff baby

b/c if you dont have yours on before helping the kid, something can happen to you and then the kid will die cause no one helped him.

duh.

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