http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3133545/posts?page=162#162
To: GOPJ
Hypoxia (oxygen starvation) will lead first to unconsciousness then without oxygen, cardiac arrest and death is probably 2-3 minutes after the cabin atmosphere equals the 45,000’ pressure.
Essentially it’s a suffocation death. At least ya pass out first. You are trying to breathe, but it’s not doing any good.
Cabin heat is controlled separately from cockpit heat. The flight crew controls it from the flight deck. Same for the cargo hold. Cargo has been ruined and pets killed by crews who forget to maintain pressure and temp in the cargo hold.
Freezing would take a bit longer.
162 posted on Saturday, March 15, 2014 5:21:11 PM by Blueflag
Another blueflag reply:
The passenger compartment air masks are not actually pressurized. They do enrich the O2 in the mask, but do not overcome the lack of cabin pressure. Your lungs actually do not suck in air, rather your shifting diaphragm allows atmospheric pressure to force air into your lungs. In the actual physics of gases, there is only pressure, not ‘suck’.
What’s the point? At 45,000 feet, the atmosphere is too thin to force enough air into your lungs, even enriched with 02 in the mask, to keep a human alive. You must have a pressurized mask that covers your mouth and nose, and has sufficient differential pressure and PUSHES air into your lungs. The flight crew up front have that.
Rising to 45,000 feet, depressuring the plane? Effective way to kill everyone not in the flight deck with a mask.
FWIW, you can also freeze ‘em to death in the back as well. It’s often 60 degrees below zero outside at that altitude. Just sayin’