What is the purpose of the oxygen mask in the cabin overhead compartment?

Aircraft emergency oxygen systems or air masks are emergency equipment fitted to pressurized commercial aircraft, intended for use when the cabin pressurisation system has failed and the cabin altitude has climbed above a safe level.

Do pilots have separate oxygen supply?

A: No, the function of the pilot oxygen system is independent of the electrical system. The passenger oxygen is also independent of electricity and uses individual oxygen generators. One pilot must also wear a mask if the airplane is flown above 41,000 feet.

How many pilots were in MH370?

two pilots
On board were two pilots, 10 cabin crew, 227 passengers, and 14,296 kg (31,517 lb) of cargo. The planned flight duration was 5 hours and 34 minutes, which would consume an estimated 37,200 kg (82,000 lb) of jet fuel.

Can a pilot decompress the plane?

The answer is yes: if one of the pilots needed to use the restroom, regulations require the other pilot to put on his O2 mask while the other pilot is away. Once outside the cockpit, the other pilot could lock the door and the other pilot out. Then he could turn everything off.

What happens when an airplane depressurizes?

When a cabin depressurizes, the percentage of oxygen in the air stays about the same, but the molecules get further and further apart, Padfield explained. Then the air expands through an expansion turbine that cools air in the same way you can cool air by blowing it out of puckered lips.

Which is a pilot requirement for oxygen?

Most pilots don’t think too much about using portable oxygen. Sure, everyone knows that you have to use supplemental oxygen if you fly more than 30 minutes at cabin pressure altitudes of 12,500 feet or higher. And that at cabin altitudes above 14,000 feet pilots must use oxygen at all times.

Do pilots wear oxygen masks?

Fighter pilots wear masks to supply them with oxygen to avoid Hypoxia when flying over 10,000 feet. Fighter aircraft have a dynamic pressurization system & when flying at very high altitudes, the pilot will have decreased atmospheric oxygen pressure for breathing. Masks prevent this.