- An automated announcement told United passengers to put on oxygen masks during a transatlantic flight.
- A passenger on the flight told aviation news agency Simple Flying that some people panicked.
- Cabin pressure was normal the entire time, a United spokesperson told Business Insider.
Dozens of United Airlines passengers began to panic when an automated emergency announcement told them to put on oxygen masks, even though there was no danger.
The Boeing 777 was flying from Paris to Washington, DC, last Wednesday when the unusual incident occurred.
Passengers on board were instructed via a pre-recorded message to wait for the oxygen masks to fall from the ceiling and then put them on, Simple Flying reported. Few, if any, masks were actually used.
A United Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider that “a small number of oxygen masks were inadvertently deployed.”
Parker Pitman, a passenger on board the flight, told Simple Flying that he did not see any masks on the plane. He added that some people tried to force open the roof compartments in panic.
“One person had a panic attack and ran to the plane door, probably to open it,” Pitman added. “None of the flight or cabin crew had heard the announcement before, and it was a very strange situation.”
Travel news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo reported that flight attendants announced they were struggling to contact pilots.
Passengers later learned that the 26-year-old aircraft was not in trouble, and the flight continued to Washington, DC. Two days later, the plane made its next flight.
A United spokesperson added: “Air pressure in the cabin was normal throughout the flight. The aircraft landed safely as scheduled and customers disembarked normally.”
The airline has faced a lot of scrutiny from regulators this year after a series of safety incidents, including a tire falling off a Boeing 777 and another plane skidding off the runway.
United was blocked from launching new routes while it was investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Last month, the airline indicated it had been authorized to restart such activities, but the FAA said its review was “ongoing,” according to the Associated Press.
