Boeing 737 passengers panic as oxygen masks accidentally deploy midair

It took their breath away.

As if Boeing planes weren’t plagued by enough problems of late: Passengers flew into a panic after oxygen masks deployed in their faces aboard a Boeing 737, as seen in a dramatic clip taking off online.

The air scare occurred on Sunday, Aug. 2,5 onboard Air Algerie flight AH 1460 flying from Algeria to Lyon, France, Viral Press reported.

The aircraft had reportedly reached an altitude of 33,000 feet when it appeared to experience a pressurization problem, causing the life-saving accessories to deploy.


Oxygen masks.
Passengers panic as oxygen masks deploy in front of their faces. ViralPress

Another view of the accidental oxygen mask deployment.
The “cockpit crew decided to flight turn back” in order “to ensure the safety of the company’s passengers,” officials reported. ViralPress

Accompanying footage shows the passengers yelling, crying and chattering after the oxygen masks dropped down from the ceiling like a scene out of a disaster movie.

In order to “ensure the safety of the passengers,” the pilot subsequently turned the plane around and made an emergency landing at the same airport he departed from in Algeria, officials reported.

Fortunately, the incident appeared to be a false alarm.

A probe revealed that there weren’t any cabin pressure problems and that the masks had dropped due to a technical bug.

This isn’t the first time oxygen masks have been deployed accidentally.

In June, passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Paris, France, to Washington, D.C., freaked out after several of the devices inadvertently dropped down mid-flight.

That prompted an automated announcement to instruct flyers to put them on.

However, as only a few masks deployed, passengers began to panic with some even attempting to force the compartments open with their hands.

One reportedly even ran to the aircraft door, presumably to open it.

Thankfully it was later revealed that the oxygen masks had been activated accidentally and the flyers weren’t in any real danger.