UA840 today--duct tape special
 

On take-off from Sydney, the oxygen masks above row 15 AB upstairs deployed and we sat there watching them swing in the breeze. No one from the flight deck came back to check it out (altho a TSA was in 15h, so security couldn't be much of an excuse). Flight deck sent back duct tape and a stewardess and a passenger finally got it taped shut. Given there are 4 pilots on the flight deck, it would have looked better if one of them had come back to inspect and help tape things up. Cabin crew upstairs was excellent, but the unwillingness of the flight deck crew to at least make an appearance was not impressive. Guess two of them were "resting" and couldn't be bothered.

Is it standard for the pilots to come out for this? Its not like there was a depreassurization in just two seats on the plane and that the oxygen masks weren't working, the latch just broke...

The flight deck crew are specifically prohibited from doing that. It's called the Sterile Cockpit Rule. One of the pilots could have checked it out later (at cruising altitude), but presumably they wanted it handled ASAP.

At what point did they send back the tape? Since it came from the flight deck I would assume it would be after 10K feet.

I will assume that duct tape is standard equipment on UA aircraft...? I have seen FA's tape a passenger's oxygen tubes against the walls up to the oxygen tank sitting in the overhead compartment. And a few years ago, the above reading light would not switch off (GRU-IAD), so a FA placed the safety card over the light and duct taped the card.

"TSA was in 15h" :confused:
Are you guessing that it was an Air Marshal? Someone from Homeland Security maybe?
TSA are the Shoe Carnival folks at Security Checkpoints in the USA and at last check not allowed on an Airplane in any capacity except customer..

I think (duct tape) is one of those extra security measures. It is very good for limiting the mobility of an asshat like Richard Reid, keeping him "tied up" for a few hours.

Happened to you too? Same thing happened to me on the same route. <763s, sigh>

Exactly. During takeoff and landing all four pilots are working, and while it is usually the Captain in the left seat the other pilots will rotate into the right seat to keep current ("OK, who needs a landing?"). Unless there is a safety of flight issue the pilots will never leave the cockpit during the most critical parts of the flight (takeoff and landing).

Did the OP expect the Captain to bring him coffee and a couple of extra SWUs?

You mean Federal Air Marshall (FAM), not TSA. @:-)

Another highlight :p "Flight deck sent back duct tape and a stewardess" cause she was just getting in the way on the flight deck. :D
I think one prefers to use Flight Attendants in these here modern times.

FAMs are part of the TSA, no?

http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/index.shtm

"Federal Air Marshals serve as the primary law enforcement entity within TSA"

Didn't we all understand what the OP meant here? I can't imagine that he saw one of the passenger screening guys in 15H...

LOL! That's funny...


Also, I recall Homeland Security telling us to duct tape our doors shut in case of a chemical or bioligical attack. I certainly felt safer keeping the duct tape around, just like I did knowing who to duck and cover under my school desk during the Cold War... ;)

Duct tape is not a standard onboard item. There is duct-type tape included in the security kit, but the security kit would not be opened in this situation. Many FAs (especially those that work the galley) carry a roll of masking tape with them. Pilots often carry tape as well, for situations like this.

It is not standard procedure for the cockpit crew to exit the cockpit to "fix" this type of situation (although it would have been nice if one of them took a look at it during a restroom break while they are out of the cockpit). While probably unnerving to the two passengers sitting at row 15, this situation does not represent a danger to the aircraft. The only time you would normally see them investigating something in the cockpit would possibly detrimental to the operation of the aircraft. For example, if FAs the detect a sound/smell that they can't identify, or sense smoke and can't determine the location or source, a cockpit crew member would probably come out to help identify the source so they could better troubleshoot the issue from the cockpit.

The problem would have been had the passengers pulled on the O2 mask. I believe there is a "pin" that gets removed (at lest from the diagrams on some airlines safety cards) when the mask is stretched down (like a tripwire on a claymore.) This in theory would have stated the oxygen generator, which creates massive heat when started (a la air-tran aka value-jet.)

I have had oxygen masks erroniously deploy in the past from turbulance as well, and was informed NOT to pull it down.