MarshalN From Hong Kong, joined Sep 2005, 1520 posts, RR: 2 Posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1701 times:
I was told a story this Christmas of a friend of my father's -- he was on a flight in China and sitting next to him was some guy who looked a little odd. During the flight, the man stood up, walked towards the closest door, and looked like he wanted to try to open it. My dad's friend jumped on him, and quickly called for help, since all along he was eyeing the guy since he thought the guy was up to no good. For the rest of the flight the guy was murmuring something about wanting to leave the plane, and was kept in his seat (by the crew, I presume). Question -- if he turned the handle all the way, does the door actually open mid-flight? What will happen? If it opens, I presume it'll be rather serious with air being sucked out at an alarming rate and perhaps causing the plane to behave erratically?
EI A330-200 From Sweden, joined Apr 2001, 398 posts, RR: 7 Reply 4, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1657 times:
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AeroTycoon From United States, joined Jan 2006, 101 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1645 times:
Yes, it is possible. If the airplane is not pressurized then the door will open, the ease of which determined by the velocity of the airflow around the fuselage (on doors that open outward).
Jean Leloup From Canada, joined Apr 2001, 1991 posts, RR: 29 Reply 6, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1620 times:
I opened the door to a Cessna 150 in flight once. My coat was stuck in the door.
But any large airliner will be pressurized at any significant altitude, and you'd be fighting thousands of pounds of pressure to move the door. For all practical purposes, it is impossible.
Newark777 From United States, joined Dec 2004, 8796 posts, RR: 41 Reply 7, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1608 times:
Quoting AeroTycoon (Reply 5): Yes, it is possible. If the airplane is not pressurized then the door will open, the ease of which determined by the velocity of the airflow around the fuselage (on doors that open outward).
But if an airliner is not pressurized at cruise, it's not going to be a cruise much longer. And if there is no pressure, there is no worry about getting "sucked" out the open door.
Newark777 From United States, joined Dec 2004, 8796 posts, RR: 41 Reply 10, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 1541 times:
Quoting AeroTycoon (Reply 8): Wrong. DC-3s cruise while not pressurized every single flight.
But how many of those do you see flying these days, besides the handful of cargo operators?
Quoting AeroTycoon (Reply 8): Wrong. One could be "sucked" out of an open cabin door by the air flowing past if you stood close enough to the door.
The slipstream is powerful, but is a complete different force in action that a pressure differential. I should have worded it there is no worry about getting "sucked" out the open door due to the pressure differential.
Newark777 From United States, joined Dec 2004, 8796 posts, RR: 41 Reply 12, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 1527 times:
Quoting AeroTycoon (Reply 11): The statement cannot be deemed pointless when there are hundreds (if not 1000+) of DC-3s are still in service around the world.
Yes, DC-3's can be flown unpressurized. So can a 747 if you want to. But if you fly on a commercial aircraft on a commercial flight, odds are the plane's probably going to be pressurized, and if for some reason it's not, odds are you are on the way to a diversion airport.
AeroTycoon From United States, joined Jan 2006, 101 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 1514 times:
Quoting OOer (Reply 9): And how many DC-3s are still in service and currently used for the transportation of passengers by commercial airlines?
So your statement is pointless.
Thank you.
And according to wikipedia or whatever it is, there were approx 400 in service as of 1998. That would equate to thousands of people flying in them every day.
AeroTycoon From United States, joined Jan 2006, 101 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 1386 times:
Quoting Schipholjfk (Reply 16): Dude... what is your problem? Tell me the last time you flew DC-3. Come on.. use your common sense.
I never have. But common sense tells me that a DC-3 is an airliner in common use and it flies at cruise altitude unpressurized. That's the point, always has been.
HAL From United States, joined Jan 2002, 1792 posts, RR: 50 Reply 18, posted (3 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 1311 times:
Briefly,
The doors are built to open inward first, then turn a bit to move outward. To move it inward means moving it against the pressure inside the cabin.
The average door is 6'6" high by 4' wide, or 3744 square inches in area. At cruise the pressure differential is usually about 8 psi. Therefore there is roughly 30,000 pounds of pressure holding the door in place.
Do you feel you can move 15 tons with your bare hands?
HAL
One smooth landing is skill. Two in a row is luck. Three in a row and someone is lying.
777jaah From Colombia, joined Jan 2006, 862 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (3 years 11 months 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1094 times:
Quoting HAL (Reply 18): Do you feel you can move 15 tons with your bare hands?
Best answer so far. I guess Superman doesn't travel coach or First Class anymore, he uses his own...........powers, so you wouldn't have any concerns on him trying to open doors at FL30 +.
BTW, DC3's still flying commercially, heavily, in southamerican countries, mainly difficult and very poor regions. Althought, never heard of anyone trying to open any doors inflight. Maybe away from big cities, not stupid.
See ya.
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NAV20 From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 7223 posts, RR: 42 Reply 24, posted (3 years 11 months 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 983 times:
Quoting AIRCANL1011 (Reply 23): If I am not mistaken, the air would be blown out rather then sucked out. Is this actually true?
At cruising height, the result of a door opening - or any other large 'hole' opening up in the pressurised hull - would be an explosive decompression, which would probably break the aeroplane up and kill everyone on board within seconds.
[Edited 2006-01-06 17:01:42]
"Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards.." - Leonardo da Vinci
Zeke From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Dec 2006, 4824 posts, RR: 65 Reply 25, posted (3 years 11 months 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 932 times:
Quoting MarshalN (Thread starter): Question -- if he turned the handle all the way, does the door actually open mid-flight? What will happen? If it opens, I presume it'll be rather serious with air being sucked out at an alarming rate and perhaps causing the plane to behave erratically?
It will depend on the phase of flight, type of door, and design of the doors. Most doors these days are plug style doors that will not open with the internal pressure of the aircraft with a large cabin differential. However it has been found that with a small pressure differential it is possible, I remember the death of a cabin crew member in the USA when they opened a passenger door with a very low pressure differential, the force of rush of air threw them on the tarmac and the received fatal injuries.
I understand that the over wing emergency exists on the 737NG are not plug type and open outwards.
A number of aircraft including the 747/DC10 have had problems with cargo doors opening in flight, the end result I believe cost lives.
A person in the Philippines has never been found presumed dead after he hijacked an A330, stole a lot of the passengers valuables and exited the A330 in flight with a home made parachute via a rear door.
Seem to remember a similar case with a 727 with people using the back staircase to exit.
Very common on military aircraft like the C130 to deploy stores or passengers.
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26 474218: If this was true then skydivers and paratroopers would not have to jump out of the plane, they could just move close to the door and they would be su
27 Newark777: Touche. I assume this is because they are going at a relatively slow rate of speed. Just a guess, though. I have heard a story on here about a pilot
28 HAL: For everyone who is talking about being 'sucked' out by the slipstream, it won't happen. The people who have been 'sucked' out have actually been blo
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