SQ321 13 March 2010: disturbing noise from A380 emex

[sabian]

I was seated in Y (upper deck).

15 mins after take off, a loud siren went off on the right emex door (behind seat 79K). There was also a hissing sound (sounded like air escaping, repeat sounded).

There was a small circular clear plastic cover and there was a indicator (red/green) that went from armed to unarmed.

This siren went on for 15 mins or so before it subsided to what sounded like a hairdryer on full blast (in an enclosed bathroom) for the almost remaining duration of the flight (it started to get softer when the aircraft began descending for landing).

The FAs tried to dampen the sound by draping blankets over the entire emex but it was no good, did not get a decent wink for the entire flight, I could hear it even with IEMs when watching the AVOD.

I am not an aircraft expert so I would like to seek some opinions as none of the crew I checked with could give any useful info

[boing]

It seems like the pressure seals on the door did not seal the door properly causing cabin air to rush out causing that noise you mentioned. That's the reason why the noise died down when the a/c was descending. The armed/disarmed thing is to arm the emergency door slides. It should be in the arm position soon after pushback.

[sabian]

Thanks Boing.

I am curious that happened since that door is not used for passenger boarding, unless the seals can be sufficiently moved even when the door is not opened.

I cannot remember whether it was armed or not but I recalled it moving (can't recall which direction though) and the hissing sound made me think of the Helios flight episode on I saw on AC Investigation.

After landing, when they removed the blankets covering the emex,I saw a locking pin that was inserted manually, probably to stop the arming device from moving any further.

Truth is, I was looking fwd to this A380 flight but leaving the plane red eyed and dazed makes it kind of a "memorable" flight. It was to be the highlight after my 28 day trip in Europe. Now it is, for all the wrong reasons.

The A380 still has some things that need to be ironed out but I will concede that it is a noticeably quieter plane for the first 14 mins. Not a great way to fly though.

[pavion]

I would just be slightly worried about the safety though I am no safety expert, I certainly would be quite worried on a flight like that!

[spw21]

If the aircraft is losing pressure, won't it be an emergency? I would expect the oxygen masks drop and an emergency landing.

[boing]

That door could have been opened for catering to load the food trays. And oxy masks would only drop if there is a drastic drop in pressure. It's quite common for door seals to loosen over time and it would not cause a significant pressure loss due to the design of the door to push outwards. It would just be written up in the tech log for the engineers to rectify.

The Helios crash was not due to the door losing pressure but the ground engineer switching the ac pressurisation in the wrong mode.

[sabian]

Thanks Boing

Here's a YT video of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ7CoGl9hTM

[225]

That would really annoy me, might be worth a letter to SQ i'd say.

[spw21]

I think you should write a complaint to SQ about this.. Always worth a try

[sqdazz]

Wow - that video does not look good for SQ!

I would definitely write a complaint letter in, and even show them the youtube link! I am quite sure you would get something for this, for the noise alone. The blankets being used is quite bizarre looking, they obviously did nothing!

[Kyo]

Personally, if I'd been sitting where you were, I'd be freaking out... don't like surprises of the nasty sort.

[nickbot]

Would certainly write to SQ about this, certainly won't do any harm. Whilst I side with Kyo in that this would freak me out, I'm sure that the flight wouldn't have progressed if there was any real danger to pax/crew, so it would be a case of pressing for inconvenience related compensation. Imagine paying extra for the exit row preferred seats, only to spend 10 hours listening to that!

[Pinkfloyd]

Likewise, I would be shi**ing myself... Strange that, according to the YT video, engineers came onboard but couldn't rectify the problem and they still allowed the A/C to fly... I'm no aeronautical engineer but wouldn't that pose a big safety problem especially on a long-haul flight? And I am sure that there are laws regarding noise levels and exposure time...

[Pinkfloyd]

Actually it would probably be better to write to the local papers rather than SQ... But then again they might not publish it...

[sabian]

E-Aviation: My wife was a little panicky, she was the first one who heard the sound. I just reassured her that this was SQ and they are serious about passenger safety.

225: It was more than annoying. For 11+ hours, it was impossible to get some shut eye.

sqdazz: I have written in but knowing SQ's bean counters...The blankets were suppose to dampen the noise but they were ineffective. I wouldn't say they did nothing but it was something not within their control, it's not like they can pull up at the next garage and have the mech looking into it.

Kyo: I was so disappointed, it overtook the urge to freak out. This was my first A380 (yeah, a little late). I rerouted my EUR trip so that I could end up flying back from LHR or CDG. All in vain.

nickbot: I think the passengers were all very understanding, there was no shouting scenes(ala "I am A PPS!!!") or any angry looks although there were concerned looks in the direction of the emex throughout the flight by passengers seated in the vicinity.

Pinkfloyd: Just to avoid any confusion, the video did not indicate that engineers came onboard. This problem occurred about 20 mins after takeoff and subsided when the plane descended as it neared Changi. Someone from the cockpit (presumably, he wasn't in a kebaya nor FA uniform but he was in some type of uniform).

Let's see if the boilerplate department is in the mood the dish out some answering machine "top of the charts" or oldies.