Yesterday I traveled by airplane early in the morning and then back last night. On one of the legs the flight attendant announcing safety instructions made a big deal about putting the oxygen mask over both mouth and nose, not just our mouth. I remember thinking, “that’s weird, I’ve never heard them repeat that part like that” and then I promptly dismissed it.
This morning I learned about the tragic events that happened on a flight yesterday. Passengers on the plane experienced first hand the dropping of the oxygen masks and having to put them on and breathe through them.
I noticed in a couple photos and a video that (at least) one of the passengers had his oxygen mask over just his mouth. Suddenly it hit me that the crew on my flight must have known about the event, heard about or seen the photos/video, and were now making extra sure everyone knew how to properly use the mask.
Bottom line: if you ever have to use an oxygen mask on an airplane, put it over both your mouth and nose. You probably know the rest (put your own mask on first before helping others, the bag won’t necessarily inflate, etc.).
I’m thinking about all the people affected by yesterday’s frightening airplane experience and hoping the survivors are home safely. Thank you to all those brave (and calm) pilots and crew members out there!!