Escape from Flight 797 | Mayday Air Disaster

Comments · 366

• CA

  @carols7263 · 2 years ago

  I am a survivor of that flight, I was 22 years old at that time. <br>I remember it like yesterday… not something one forgets. <br>In watching this I feel the ‘dramatization’ in the reenactment of what actually occurred wasn’t entirely accurate. I guess they did their best — just sayin’.<br>At the time, the only testimony I gave was to the Air Canada investigators while I was in the hospital for three days. I chose not to give testimony to any press people, due to the fact the friend I was travelling with did not make it off the plane 😞 naturally I was devastated to say the least, and didn’t want to talk to any press even tho they camped in the hospital hallways, and called me (from Canada to my surprise) on the hospital room telephone line I had to keep in touch with my family in Canada.<br>I will say this — the pilot did an incredible job factoring in the disaster and harsh reality of the situation. <br>He did everything right in my opinion! <br>The fact that we landed in an airport and on a runway was nothing short of miraculous. Under the circumstances it was nothing short of amazing that anyone survived! <br>Much sadness for those who lost loved ones 😔😞🙁<br>At the time it felt like everyone on board was family…. there’s a feeling of we are stuck here together in the situation and my heart went out to everyone. I had helped the elderly couple sitting next to me as best I could but reality was it really went very quickly into a situation where everyone was basically on their own. No one including flight crew was in a position to do anything. We were all strapped in for an emergency landing!! <br>I could hear coming from the cockpit “Mayday, mayday, we are coming down!” There was no request— it was more like plan NOW for our arrival as we were literally falling out of the sky and landing in record time. <br>I always understood it to be a 12 minute decent…. from 35,000 ft elevation, so thats remarkable as normally that can take upwards of 40 minutes. The tires all blew due to the very abrupt swift landing— the second I felt the plane stop, off with my seat belt! I needed air, 12 minutes is waaay too long to control one’s breathing especially with every breath its toxic fumes. <br>I knew the elderly couple next to me was already gone because I held the hand of the lady next to me and I could feel her hand grip lessen and fade which was horrific when there was nothing I could do to help. Heart wrenching. &nbsp;I was separated from my friend with many of us relocated seats as initially we were in row 13. The flight was not full so before things got too bad all rows in the front half of plane were filled. Yet all exits were used with doors opened. Those precious souls that never made it off the flight I believe were already unconscious due to the horrid toxic smoke inhalation. The plane was silent! There was no noise or active scrimmaging of anyone frantically trying to get out. &nbsp;I remember… it was pitch black I had to feel my way out and instinctively remained low during the process and felt no-one in my way or path on route to the front entry exit. <br>I believe it very possible I may have been the last one out of the plane because when I got to the front entry exit — I went from seeing nothing to seeing outside and on the ground was a flight attendant looking up at me and yelled “no slide” as I jumped out of the plane completely missing the provided inflated-type slide… You see, in my mind I was expecting stairs (strange I know) but that was how I initially boarded the plane (June outside) &nbsp;in Dallas, Tx with stairs. <br>And in those ‘seconds’ of me thinking, “I need air NOW and must get out” &nbsp;I jumped clearing the provided slide and ended up doing a forward role having a minor scrape on my shoulder from the impact of hitting the tarmac pavement which in itself was incredible that I didn’t break my shoulder or anything else! <br>After tumbling/rolling a couple times I jumped up and ran — as I believe I heard “run” &nbsp;so I didn’t run too far — but then stopped, turned around to look at the plane I had just ran from … and I can’t say with absolute certainty but likely 30 seconds … as I had turned and looked at the plane — woosh! <br>Like an inferno the fire just surged internally from front to back throughout the entire interior. <br>With the smoke bellowing out and the outside oxygen getting inside the plane it quickly fuelled the fire… &nbsp;<br>Those that had gotten out were standing there huddled on the tarmac and the head-count began. There were 23 counted. Immediately after that I and a very elderly man were the first to leave in an ambulance — <br>My nose was bleeding and I knew I had not bumped it but while in the ambulance on oxygen I found out the blood vessels burst inside my nose which apparently can occur from lack of oxygen. <br>The woman in this video who made a statement was right in saying that oddly anyone that did get out —had mild (if any) physical injury. I could go on with further details however, the only point I wanted to really make was the pilot in my opinion was a true hero. Of course credit is due to crew and those who had opened each exit door 👏🏻 but if it weren’t for the pilot landing this flight— <br>no one would have survived. There truly was minimal panic, some near me I could hear were hyper-ventilating which was the worst thing to do— those of us that survived knew to control and minimize ones breathing as best you could under the circumstance which was no easy task. I flew home just 3 days later — that was tough but it was the quickest way to get back home to SK, Canada. <br>I’ve flown countless times since. For me I still believe it’s the best way when travelling long distance... But I pray every time for safe and an uneventful flight.

  440

• DA

  @davidmiller6593 · 2 years ago

  One of the tragedies of Flight 797 was that the crew underestimated the fire due to the frequency of small trashbin fires from people smoking in the lavatories. &nbsp; It took years of industry and political fighting to ban smoking on planes, but we are safer for it.<br><br>Without the regularly occurring small cigarette fires, crew now can treat any warning of smoke or fire as more than a minor nuisance. &nbsp;They are now trained to treat any instance of smoke as a potential deadly threat and take emergency action IMMEDIATELY instead of waiting for reports from the cabin crew or the FO investigating the smoke.<br><br>So anyone that smokes and irritated you can&apos;t aboard a plane, please note that the law is there not just to annoy smokers.

  144

• HR

  @hrhtheprinceandre · 2 years ago

  I think Captain Cameron and his crew did everything they could given the circumstances. Sometimes, things happen that you cannot control no matter how hard you try.

  91

• TH

  @tharrison0043 · 1 year ago

  Just because they couldn&apos;t find the wire that caused the fire, they blamed the pilot for not landing sooner, that&apos;s bullshit.

  69

• JA

  @JamesStreet-tp1vb · 2 years ago

  It should be mandatory that at the FIRST sign of smoke anywhere on the plane, you head for the nearest airport. &nbsp; Declare a mayday and drop as fast as you can. Its best to err on the side of caution. I wouldn’t be the least bit upset with the pilots or the airline for doing such a thing. Even if it turns out to be nothing.

  116

• MY

  @Mysticmermaid888 · 2 years ago

  My heart just shattered when the pilot spoke. God bless you and the crew for all you did too save the lives you had. You can see in his eyes he never got passed that. Prayers for you kind sir. You are loved, Amen 🙏❤🙏

  93

• DA

  @DaBlazesUSay · 2 years ago

  All of the second-guessing needs to stop! I&apos;m from Kentucky, I lived in Louisville for several years, now I live in Northern Kentucky and worked in aviation at the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport (as it&apos;s known now). Air Canada Flight 797 was already past Louisville when the emergency was declared. The crew did a heroic job of descending and landing the aircraft without stressing the airframe to its breaking point, while finding the runway through thick, toxic smoke! As tragic as the outcome was, it was near-miraculous that any lives were saved.

  83

• MM

  @MMNotmyprinccess · 2 years ago

  Even if the plane landed a few minutes sooner at the Louisville airport, once the exits were opened the oxygen then would have still caused an explosion.

  71

• F_

  @F_M_Chef_Terri · 2 years ago

  Sad situation. Final report was easier on the crew. Ultimately the crew received a prestigious award from Canada.

  73

• RD

  @RDLC1424 · 1 year ago

  I can&apos;t believe they tried to blame the flight crew, unbelievable!

  25

• DE

  @debrachittwood7696 · 2 years ago

  Boy, always got to blame someone...the captian did the best he could under the circumstances. WHAT WOULD ANYONE DO IN HINDSIGHT is NOT REALITY! The crew did the BEST THEY COULD!

  46

• DA

  @daniel.4343 · 1 year ago

  The crew members did everything possible to land that plane and save as many passengers as they could. Captain, you did a good job. You saved lives.<br>Thank you.

  7