Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 16:39:30 -0700

Author: Jim Kelley

Subject: Re: Lear Jet crash

Post:

paul o johnson wrote:

> Wolfgang Rueckner wrote:

> > The media claimed (many times) that the people on board had about 5 seconds
> > to put on their oxygen masks before they were doomed.

>Does
> anyone reading this really believe that the media types checked even the
> ballpark accuracy of that estimate before they proclaimed it to the gullible
> world as gospel?

I checked it with a Viet Nam era jet pilot, and he verified it - at
least that's what they're taught in training. Apparently, explosive
decompression can cause you to have a very bad day. Unconsciousness is
quite an immediate result, and that is consistent with occurances in
this latest tragedy.

You'd have a tough time holding your breath under such conditions too.
The air would essentially be drawn out of your lungs - unless your lips
have been leak tested to the better part of an atmosphere. :-)

Best Regards,

Jim Kelley