Narrative:

My family and I had the misfortune of traveling on flight a departing dorval at XA30 en route to orlando, fl. The aircraft encountered difficulty at yyoo when, as we later discovered, the pilots windshield failed and the cabin pressure could not be maintained. The incident resulted in a dramatic high speed emergency descent from 31000 ft and a landing at charlottesville, va, a very short time later. The anxiety of the extremely rapid descent was fueled by the flight crew's failure to communicate the situation to the passenger. For this ex-air force officer flying with his wife and 3 children on vacation, this flight afforded me the most terrifying moment of my life. I believe there was no need for such terror, and recommend that (company name) address the following observations: 1. The cabin crew was unresponsive and unprofessional throughout the flight and took insufficient measures to keep the passenger informed and comfortable, particularly during the more than 8 hour unscheduled stop. 2. The flight crew was deficient in keeping the passenger informed and in their response to the in-flight emergency. 3. The flight safety equipment was deficient in that oxygen masks, which deployed were in poor condition, inoperative, or unusable, and the system failed to provide oxygen. 4. (Company name) maintenance was deficient in the maintenance of the windscreen which failed. 5. (Company name) operations was deficient in their response to the situation by effectively holding the passenger hostage in inadequate facilities at charlottesville airport for more than 8 hours while corrective action was contemplated and finally provided. We are thankful that the incident proved to be minor and hope that the crew's response did more to alleviate a situation than to contribute to one. We have now had the first-hand experience of the horror and helplessness of a passenger aircraft emergency and have great sympathy for those whose initial situation turns out to be far worse than this one did. Any simple communication would have saved a great deal of anxiety as this incident turned out to be the worst situation I ever thought I was in. I have provided my observations and I expect them to be considered seriously and actioned. I request a reply detailing exactly how you plan to action my recommendations and advise you to take this letter very seriously. To make it clear what action I expect from (company name), I request the following be provided: 1. A copy of the complete incident report including an assessment of the crew's response and handling. 2. A complete response to each of the recommendations itemized above. I regret the delay in providing you with this report, however a particularly vivid dream of an aircraft disaster on behalf of my 6-YR old son has been disturbing enough to prompt me to conclude this report and provide it to those who can take action to remedy the situations which we observed

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX IN AN ACR MLG WENT THROUGH AN EMER DSCNT WITH HIS PREGNANT WIFE AND 3 SMALL CHILDREN. THE AIR CREW MADE AN EMER LNDG DUE TO A SHATTERED WINDSCREEN. THE PAX WERE GREATLY DISCOMFORTED BY AN OFF-LINE LNDG AND LONG DELAY IN THEIR ONWARD TRIP. THERE WAS NO RPT OF OTHER DAMAGE OR OF INJURIES.

Narrative: MY FAMILY AND I HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF TRAVELING ON FLT A DEPARTING DORVAL AT XA30 ENRTE TO ORLANDO, FL. THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY AT YYOO WHEN, AS WE LATER DISCOVERED, THE PLTS WINDSHIELD FAILED AND THE CABIN PRESSURE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN A DRAMATIC HIGH SPD EMER DSCNT FROM 31000 FT AND A LNDG AT CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, A VERY SHORT TIME LATER. THE ANXIETY OF THE EXTREMELY RAPID DSCNT WAS FUELED BY THE FLC'S FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE THE SITUATION TO THE PAX. FOR THIS EX-AIR FORCE OFFICER FLYING WITH HIS WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN ON VACATION, THIS FLT AFFORDED ME THE MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT OF MY LIFE. I BELIEVE THERE WAS NO NEED FOR SUCH TERROR, AND RECOMMEND THAT (COMPANY NAME) ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS: 1. THE CABIN CREW WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND UNPROFESSIONAL THROUGHOUT THE FLT AND TOOK INSUFFICIENT MEASURES TO KEEP THE PAX INFORMED AND COMFORTABLE, PARTICULARLY DURING THE MORE THAN 8 HR UNSCHEDULED STOP. 2. THE FLC WAS DEFICIENT IN KEEPING THE PAX INFORMED AND IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THE INFLT EMER. 3. THE FLT SAFETY EQUIP WAS DEFICIENT IN THAT OXYGEN MASKS, WHICH DEPLOYED WERE IN POOR CONDITION, INOP, OR UNUSABLE, AND THE SYS FAILED TO PROVIDE OXYGEN. 4. (COMPANY NAME) MAINT WAS DEFICIENT IN THE MAINT OF THE WINDSCREEN WHICH FAILED. 5. (COMPANY NAME) OPS WAS DEFICIENT IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION BY EFFECTIVELY HOLDING THE PAX HOSTAGE IN INADEQUATE FACILITIES AT CHARLOTTESVILLE ARPT FOR MORE THAN 8 HRS WHILE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS CONTEMPLATED AND FINALLY PROVIDED. WE ARE THANKFUL THAT THE INCIDENT PROVED TO BE MINOR AND HOPE THAT THE CREW'S RESPONSE DID MORE TO ALLEVIATE A SITUATION THAN TO CONTRIBUTE TO ONE. WE HAVE NOW HAD THE FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF THE HORROR AND HELPLESSNESS OF A PAX ACFT EMER AND HAVE GREAT SYMPATHY FOR THOSE WHOSE INITIAL SITUATION TURNS OUT TO BE FAR WORSE THAN THIS ONE DID. ANY SIMPLE COM WOULD HAVE SAVED A GREAT DEAL OF ANXIETY AS THIS INCIDENT TURNED OUT TO BE THE WORST SITUATION I EVER THOUGHT I WAS IN. I HAVE PROVIDED MY OBSERVATIONS AND I EXPECT THEM TO BE CONSIDERED SERIOUSLY AND ACTIONED. I REQUEST A REPLY DETAILING EXACTLY HOW YOU PLAN TO ACTION MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVISE YOU TO TAKE THIS LETTER VERY SERIOUSLY. TO MAKE IT CLR WHAT ACTION I EXPECT FROM (COMPANY NAME), I REQUEST THE FOLLOWING BE PROVIDED: 1. A COPY OF THE COMPLETE INCIDENT RPT INCLUDING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CREW'S RESPONSE AND HANDLING. 2. A COMPLETE RESPONSE TO EACH OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ITEMIZED ABOVE. I REGRET THE DELAY IN PROVIDING YOU WITH THIS RPT, HOWEVER A PARTICULARLY VIVID DREAM OF AN ACFT DISASTER ON BEHALF OF MY 6-YR OLD SON HAS BEEN DISTURBING ENOUGH TO PROMPT ME TO CONCLUDE THIS RPT AND PROVIDE IT TO THOSE WHO CAN TAKE ACTION TO REMEDY THE SITUATIONS WHICH WE OBSERVED

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.