A potentially fatal error – why air safety demonstrations are important

Videos from on board Southwest Flight 1380 are somewhat eery – they seem to show calm and quiet as everyone uses the oxygen masks and waits for the plane to land – they also demonstrate a potentially fatal error almost every passenger made.

It was a tragic incident, an engine failure which most likely cause shrapnel to hit the side of the plane and break a window resulted in a mother of two being killed on board Southwest flight 1380.

The flight was heading from New York to Dallas, and when the incident happened of course the safety training and procedures were put in place on-board.

This included the oxygen masks falling from above all passengers. Study the on-board videos as keen eyed Natalie at Newscorp Australia did – and you’ll see something very troubling.

Video: Newscorp Australia

We get an air safety briefing every single time we fly, this includes the brace position, life jackets and the oxygen masks.

Problem is, the oxygen mask is meant to go over mouth and nose, not just the mouth – and almost all passengers got that wrong.

Now in this instance, that’s ok – but if there was a toxic leak or fumes on board it could have been much worse.

A lesson to pay attention every time to those safety briefings.