'... in the event that oxygen is required, nitrogen masks will drop automatically from the overhead panels ...'
It seems that Qantas maintenance people haven't quite figured out the difference between oxygen and nitrogen. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Qantas ground crew at Melbourne airport accidentally filled the oxygen tanks of a Boeing 747 with nitrogen instead of oxygen:
Of course the attachments didn't fit. They're designed not to fit, so that you can't accidentally put nitrogen in an oxygen tank (potentially deadly if oxygen is required), or fill an aircraft's tyres with oxygen instead of nitrogen (would probably explode, either immediately or on the next flight).
Qantas passengers will no doubt be relieved to know that the passenger oxygen masks are (AFAIK) supplied by chemical oxygen generators, and so in the event of depressurisation, the passengers would have oxygen, and remain conscious all the way to the ground, while the cockpit crew would be unconscious and therefore spared the fate of seeing the ground come up and smack them in the face. (to use the words of Gerry Carrol)
The aviation source said: "Qantas took delivery of the new nitrogen cart 10 months ago.
"It looked exactly like the old oxygen cart. When the attachments did not fit they went and took them off the old oxygen cart and started using it."
Of course the attachments didn't fit. They're designed not to fit, so that you can't accidentally put nitrogen in an oxygen tank (potentially deadly if oxygen is required), or fill an aircraft's tyres with oxygen instead of nitrogen (would probably explode, either immediately or on the next flight).
Qantas passengers will no doubt be relieved to know that the passenger oxygen masks are (AFAIK) supplied by chemical oxygen generators, and so in the event of depressurisation, the passengers would have oxygen, and remain conscious all the way to the ground, while the cockpit crew would be unconscious and therefore spared the fate of seeing the ground come up and smack them in the face. (to use the words of Gerry Carrol)
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