I was a passenger on the Saturday flight from Las Vegas to Burbank. I want to tell you what happened from a passenger's point of view.
The flight was smooth and uneventful; the captain made an announcement that we were on schedule and a comment about the pleasant weather awaiting us in Burbank. A few minutes later, as I was looking out the window (I was overlooking a wing) the plane tilted sharply to the right at an angle, dropped altitude dramatically, and passengers began screaming. Things were falling, passengers were clutching their seats and holding hands. You could literally hear the engine stall out then roar back up again. The pilot regained control, righted the aircraft and began climbing. We were so terrified that I believe everyone on board felt that was the end for us. A moment or two later, we seemed to lose control again, although not as severely, rocking and swerving, before he regained control again. We had no idea what was happening, all of us were so traumatized. We waited for an announcement but none came.
We were all so thankful to land safely, and a flight attendant announced for all passengers to deplane through the front door due to the mess in the back. We were not told anything else, no explanation for what occurred, nor even where to claim our luggage.
Passengers from the back passed the word forward to inform the pilot to open the rear door because two attendants were hurt badly. An announcement was then made from the attendant in front to clear the aisles for the pilot to go to the back of the plane to attend to two injured flight attendants.
After he passed by us, we were then able to deplane, still in shock and traumatized. Nobody from the airline was there to greet us as we deplaned to ask if we were okay, if we were hurt. Somebody representing the airline should have been there to check on our welfare. We deplaned and there were numerous firetrucks and emergency vehicles lined up next to the aircraft. As we left the front stairs, I saw emergency personnel running up the back staircase.
We all wandered into the terminal, still in shock with no idea what had happened, just so grateful to have landed safely. Eventually we located the carousel with our luggage and still had to drive home, shaken and confused, wondering what happened and feeling there was no way we could possibly fly again.
I have checked the newspapers and the Southwest Airlines website trying to find answers. People I have told just shrug it off as turbulence, but it was much worse than that...everyone on that flight knew that. The pilot had a scared look on his face after landing when he passed by me in the aisle going to assist the injured flight attendants.
Now after all these days I get answers on the news. I feel validated that it is acknowledged that something happened, not just normal turbulence. But it is disturbing to learn that, according to the FAA, the pilot was traveling on a collision course.
However, more fears remain. I had planned a much anticipated trip to take my fiance to Hawaii to show him the beautiful place I grew up in, but now I don't feel I can ever get on a plane again. It was a truly traumatizing experience.
My sympathy card was moderated out. FTL
and had it not been for the oncoming traffic to announce his intentions on a common frequency..
poof.. i and the oncoming traffic would not be here!
using that shared frequency i quickly announced the imminent danger and what action was necessary..
and within seconds.. whoosh.. that traffic flew under my left wing.. and i never even saw him until then!
it's strange that no one addressed the passengers with at least an ''all's well''..
and buying a round of drinks would have been even more appropriate!
If they could, what would they have said to you?
ie: "Now, now there there ma-am. All is well."
Your other mind is all you need. The ground under your feet was your console.
Several people should have met them at the gate and explained that the plane was always under control, but the pilot had to take quick and drastic moves as there was something in their path that shouldn't have been there. They should have asked each person if they were all right. Did they need anything? Reassure them that while it was scary, they were all okay, thanks to the quick thinking of the pilot and air traffic control. But no. SouthWest decided that customer service is last on their list, even when they have a plane full of traumatized passengers. This is exactly why SouthWest sucks. Except the pilot. He saved their asses.
The pilot reacted to a TCAS alarm, TCAS is Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System.
He never "stalled" or "lost control" of the plane.
In fact, they saved YOUR LIFE and many others.
I am sorry you were startled.
But please know, that you are alive due to the crew's actions on the flight deck.
You can't speak for the all the passengers and yet you repeatedly say things like "all of us were so traumatized" and "We all wandered into the terminal, still in shock with no idea what had happened, just so grateful to have landed safely" and "feeling there was no way we could possibly fly again."
This is the most bald-faced bid for monetary damages I think I've ever seen. Whatever happened to "Keep Calm and Carry On" ???
There's no denying it was an upsetting several minutes, but to demand immediate comforting while there are two injured flight attendants and other things demanding immediate attention besides this toddler-like passenger is beyond the pale.
What a bunch of faux victims this country has become. It's sad.
I've flown Southwest Airlines exclusively for a decade or more and I've never been anything but impressed with their customer service. To try and use this to impugn an entire company is ridiculous.
via phone--Thursday morning--about the flight--
Please contact me at LES717@YAHOO.COM
Thanks
Les/abc
When something is kept in the dark, it is less likely to be fixed. This matter needs to see the light of day if something is ever to be done to prevent it from happening again. In an ideal world, Southwest would have been proactively dealing with the passengers and the public. Given the world we actually live in, it is not surprising that we are dependent on eyewitnesses and investigative journalism for answers.
It is unfortunate that two F/As were injured and that passengers were scared but the entire event was by the book. Has the F/As been belted in, as were the passengers, nothing much would have happened.
Next time the flight deck tells you to fasten your seatbelts, just do it.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/flyingcheap/
Or maybe hers. Southwest hires more female pilots than any other airline.
Still a fan of their business model but this doesn't make sense.