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RDU-bound plane plummets in mid-air

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lowtimedriver

Marmott Stalker
Joined
Jan 24, 2006
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http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9324572

RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, N.C. (WTVD) -- The pilot of a Southwest Airlines flight headed to RDU went on the loudspeaker and told passengers their plane was going down, according to a woman on board the flight.

"He said, we're going down. And everyone is looking around like, is this a joke? Is he serious? And then you felt the nosedive," passenger Shelley Wills said.

Wills told ABC11 the Tuesday night flight from Tampa took a nosedive thousands of feet in the air while they were about 100 miles away from RDU.

Wills is a nurse and tried helping the first-time flier seated next to her who was clutching her chest.

"I'm thinking oh my God, she's going to scare herself into a heart attack," Wills said.

She said people all around her pulled out their cell phones in a desperate attempt to reach their loved ones. She texted her daughter and her husband, but the messages did not go through.

"It says I love you Alyssa. My plane is going down," she read. "I thought I was going to die and that's what everyone on that plane thought. That we were all going to die, just by one word of the captain. I just think they could have handled it a little differently."

Minutes after the plane dropped, Wills said the Boeing 737 leveled out and went on to make an emergency landing at RDU.

"And the last words were thank you for hanging with us," Wills said.

Southwest Airlines issued this statement regarding the incident:

"Flight 3426 experienced a maintenance alert as they were on descent into RDU. The Captain declared an emergency and descended the aircraft to 25,000 feet where the alert was resolved. Throughout the remainder of the descent the flight was normal, landed uneventfully, and was not met by emergency vehicles."
 
"Aaaahhhhh, we're going down!!!!" Shock, horror!!!

D@mn pilots! WTF with an emergency descent? The flying public deserves better! I see a lawsuit coming!

Another reason to dump your TV....
 
Can't she see that it was just "hard bargaining" talk from the captain?...
 
Am I the only one who thinks this could have been handled better? Not trying to throw any spears, just a lesson learned.
 
someone prob thought they were talking to ATC during the decent and forgot to switch the comms panel. 20 second PA by the CPT explaining the were communicating with ATC and apologize would have made it a non news event.

then again, I certainly wasn't there and always give the crew the benefit of the doubt
 
Am I the only one who thinks this could have been handled better? Not trying to throw any spears, just a lesson learned.

I don't get it either. Normally if something frightens or concerns the pax, the FA's will ding the flight deck and ask for a PA that explains what is happening. Not sure if the pilot misspoke over the PA. Of course we are only hearing one passengers story. I'm sure there is more to it.
 
Am I the only one who thinks this could have been handled better? Not trying to throw any spears, just a lesson learned.

Until we hear what was really said on the PA hold your spear. Usually it sounds like Charlie Browns teacher: Waaa waaa wa waaa Down waaa waa wa waaaa.
At least she had time to fire up her phone in the pandemonium.
 
The pilots and Boeing engineers did their job....everybody walked away.

Someone made a mistake in what could have been a very busy situation and a woman wants to get paid. She's a nobody who wants to be a somebody. Nothing more, nothing less.

The news vultures smelled blood and rolled in hot.....
 
Funny thing, we heard online yesterday that a FA was in the aisle saying "we're going down". The news loves this crap!

In Charlotte, there's at least one news truck at the airport at all times, you never know when they'll have to be there for this type "breaking news"!

Anyone ever noticed them at other airports full time?

KBB
 

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