Pilot incapacitation due to an unexplained loss of cabin pressure was likely the cause of a 2023 Cessna Citation 560 crash near Montebello, Virginia, that killed all four people on board, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Hypoxia will creep up on you and kill silently. When faced with an event airborne, the first questions should be 1. is the aircraft flying? Controll. 2. do I need my oxigen mask? In doubt - grab it! 3. troubleshoot 4. communicate
These basics should keep you out of most any trouble.
Is it possible to incorporate an O2 dosimeter & alarm into a pilot headset to provide early warning of lowering blood O2 levels?
I recall there are warning systems, Dr. Brent Blue was offering something IIRC but his company has been declining. Maybe someone else is.
But owner and pilot have to care.
Reminds me of a crash a few years ago with airplane that did not have oxygen mask and microphone integrated, probable cause was pilot not putting it back on after taking it off to talk to ATC. Aircraft was not in proper condition for flying at high altitudes to cross the Rockies.
Oh, there are pulse oximeters for finger, perhaps even forehead, with alarm.
Nonin sells one that has low profile sensor on finger tip and electronics on wrist.
Aerox sells a headset with both boom mike and oxygen canula on separate booms.
(A canula has a probe into each nostril to feed supplemental oxygen.)
When I was a controller in the USAF many years ago, we had an instruction that if we encountered a pilot acting weird, more so than normal, we should instruct him firmly, “Vance 23, go 100% oxygen, Vance 23, go 100% oxygen.” Never needed to.
Thanks for the link. AVweb should put you on staff
I looked as this plane to purchase (we passed) and was aquianted with the parties involved. Know that I’m not implying anything negative about anyone involved, but this is one case where I think the NTSB should, respecfully, include some of the history of this operation leading up to the accident. Things like this don’t “just happen” and the real learning here will likely be hidden in the backstory.
glassflyer:
Thankks.
I bother Russ on occasion. :-o)
Yes - this accident should not have happened, and it is not for want of a pulse oximeter or a headset alarm. If the cabin pressure rises, the Citation’s Master Caution system will light up, the passenger masks pop out of the headliner, the pilot puts on their quick-donning oxygen mask, flicks the rate to high, and switches over to the mask microphone. Then they work out a new plan. On the other hand, if the oxygen bottle is empty and the quick-donning oxygen mask is not even on board the aircraft (both no-go items on the checklist by the way) then none of that happens, and a couple of hours later the pilot and passengers die. Which is really depressing.