On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 at 19:32:31 in message
jvFIb.85543$VB2.191432@attbi_s51, Jon Woellhaf
wrote:

Yeah, right! First there's a loud bang and everyone thinks a bomb has gone
off. Then the cabin fills with super cold thick fog. The pilot puts the
plane in a dive to get to breathable air and the masks are hanging a couple
feet in front of you. I think it would be absolute chaos.

Have any of you experienced an actual explosive decompression while in
flight?

The nearest case I can find a record of is the 747-122 N44713U incident
on February 24, 1989.

It was climbing out of Hawaii when at 23,000 ft the front cargo door
blew off. This went with a big bang and took a large section of cabin
wall above with it. 9 passengers were ejected and never found, all but
one from the outer pairs of seats. There was a sudden thump followed by
'a mind shattering explosion'. The aircraft lurched, there was a huge
jump in wind noise and sudden misting of the cabin and flight deck. It
was dark and the lights went out. Many thought their last hour had come.
The cabin altitude warning sounded, the crew started an emergency
descent and turned 180 degrees to head back to Honolulu. No 3 engine was
now losing power. The gap in the skin extended up as far as the upper
deck windows.

The aircraft was landed. 17 passengers suffered injuries.

That was a very big hole!
--
David CL Francis