Four Dead in Private Plane Crash.

[Gabriel556]

Not a direct answer, but I know some of the new, smaller, and expensive aircraft have an emergency button that will automatically land the plane. It automatically sends a distress call, locates the closest airport with adequate runway, changes course, and lands all with the push of one button. I think it’s one small jet and a few turboprops like the TBM 940/960 have this optional feature. But you have to be conscious to push the button. Also a lot of the larger commercial jets have “auto land” capabilities but that requires a large amount on input from the pilots. That’s different from just a one button push for an emergency landing.

Then I know there are a few others when set to auto pilot, there is essentially an alerter. But instead of terms of a train where it would put it in suppression and stop a train, on these planes any button with flight control has to be pressed every x number minutes to “reset the alerter” or the plane is programmed to assume an unresponsive crew from a depressurization and descend to a lower altitude in hopes they regain consciousness. I think those are programmed to fly straight and level at 15k feet.

I’m sure others with more knowledge will chime in.

As a dumb dumb with no aviation knowledge I have questions:

1.) Would it be possible to equip aircraft with cabin air pressure sensors that alert the crew of slow depressurization?

2.) In the even of a rapid depressurization that might incapacitate the crew is it possible to program an autopilot function that broadcasts an emergency and immediately dumps altitude in an effort to reach a survivable atmospheric pressure?

Most all pressurized aircraft that I know of (I fly general aviation, unlike Det-Sog who flies airlines) have a crew alert system for cabin altitude climbing above 8-10k’. Crew must be on O2 after 30 minutes above 12.5k’ and all the time above 14k’ if in an unpressurized cabin. If pressurized aircraft have a somewhat modern autopilot they can easily initiate an emergency descent if there is a problem. Some aircraft as mentioned have some attention logic software that will initiate the same if it detects no actions from the pilot, up to and including auto-land with squawking 7700 for an emergency and making automatic radio calls on appropriate frequencies (Piper M600 was the first).

iPhones and I’m sure other personal electronics can be set to warn you if you surpass a preset altitude but you may not catch the alert if hypoxia is already setting in.

As for a rapid decompression, it’s like getting hit by a freight train. Ears pop painfully, it’s loud, and the air in your lungs basically gets sucked out of the hole is big enough. Your first step is to get your mask on as a crew member, get on O2, then start your emergency maneuvers. At FL350 and higher, you have seconds, immediately after being ambushed. In most aircraft of this level, masks for the cabin should deploy at the same time UNLESS the cockpit control for that has been set to off, or crew only. This particular accident aircraft has a demonic switch for this, as it has a white line on the top and armed/off are 180 degrees apart. If you don’t confirm the bevel in the dial is set to armed you’re dead when you climb through FL300(maybe not literally but you’re definitely unconscious at that point).

As also mentioned, it is entirely possible that a hypoxia crew would think everything is ok and clear the alert if an auto descent isn’t completed. Hypoxia is insidious because it often gives people a euphoric state but you don’t realize it.

[Gabriel556]

Tried to add a pic of the switch but I can’t.