What To Do If A Window Breaks During Your Flight According To A Pilot
By BRIE SCHMIDT
Statistically, flying is much safer than driving, but accidents do and can happen. For example, a broken window can suck passengers out of the plane within no time.
Thankfully, in a viral clip, pilot Harrison Murray, who goes by @pilot_geeza on TikTok, explained the protocol passengers and flight crew should follow to survive such an event.
Murray says the first thing to occur right after a window failure is "rapid depressurization" in the cabin, followed by loud noises, gusts of cold air, and abdominal discomfort.
As the pilot says, passengers will be alerted to put on their oxygen masks, and they should do so, as people can lose consciousness within 30 to 90 seconds without enough air.
In another TikTok, Murray suggests keeping your seatbelt on throughout the flight to avoid being swept out of a broken window or panel, even when the seatbelt sign is switched off.
Another preventative measure, per Murray, is to avoid booking a window seat, as passengers near broken windows are more likely to suffer injuries than those seated further away.
That said, your chances of being on a flight with a broken window are slim. Per aviation consultant David Haward, such accidents are rare and happen due to unforeseen misfortune.