- An automated announcement instructed United Airlines passengers to wear oxygen masks during the transatlantic flight.
- A passenger on the plane told aviation news outlet Simple Flying that some passengers panicked.
- A United Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider that the cabin pressure was normal throughout the flight.
Dozens of United Airlines passengers began to panic after an automated emergency announcement instructed them to put on oxygen masks, even though they were not in any danger.
The unusual incident occurred while the Boeing 777 was flying from Paris to Washington DC last Wednesday.
Passengers were told in a pre-recorded message to wait for oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling before putting them on, but very few of them were actually used, Simple Flying reported.
A United Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider that “a small number of oxygen masks were mistakenly deployed.”
Passenger Parker Pittman told Simple Flying that there were no masks on board, adding that some people had panicked and tried to pry open partitions in the ceiling.
“One person had a panic attack and ran to the door of the aircraft, presumably to open it,” Pittman added. “None of the flight attendants or flight attendants had heard the announcement. It was a very strange situation.”
Travel news site Paddle Your Own Canoe reported that flight attendants announced they were having difficulty contacting the pilot.
Passengers later learned there was nothing wrong with the 26-year-old aircraft after all, and the flight continued to Washington, D.C. Two days later, the plane made its next flight.
A United Airlines spokesman added: “Cabin pressure remained normal throughout the flight. The aircraft landed safely as scheduled and passengers disembarked normally.”
The airline has come under increased scrutiny from regulators this year after a series of safety incidents, including a tire falling off a Boeing 777 and another plane skidding off a runway.
United Airlines was blocked from launching new routes while it was under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. Last month, the airline indicated it would be allowed to resume such activity, but the FAA said the investigation was “ongoing,” according to the Associated Press.
