Exclusive | Passengers on Air China flight that plummeted 25,000 feet reveal horror of ordeal, including fearing there was no oxygen in masks that dropped from ceiling
Air China had earlier admitted pilot was smoking e-cigarette in cockpit and mistakenly switched off air conditioning system triggering release of oxygen masks
Thirty minutes after Eugene Chow’s Air China flight took off from Hong Kong for Dalian on July 10, the lawyer found himself struggling with the oxygen mask that fell from the cabin ceiling as the plane began a rapid descent.
Chow said panicky cabin crew were dashing about as an automated emergency announcement told everyone to belt up and pull their oxygen masks over their mouths and noses.
But to the 66-year-old’s horror, it felt like no oxygen was coming through the tubing to his mask.
“I kept breathing in and out so much that my mask filled up with carbon dioxide from my exhalation instead,” said Chow, who was on a golfing trip with eight friends, all seated in business class.
“None of the oxygen masks which were deployed had any oxygen coming out of the masks,” he said. Everyone in his group felt like they were struggling to breathe.
Chow, who is married with three children, contacted the Post to say he suspected the oxygen masks failed and should be checked. The Post checked the pictures he provided and they appeared authentic but his claims could not be confirmed by Air China as they did not respond to a request for comment.