ASK THE AVERAGE PILOT what they think of when you say "airline depressurization event" and many will respond with an event such as 1988's Aloha Airlines Flight 243, when a large section of the aircraft's skin tore off in flight, causing an explosive decompression. None, however, are likely to respond with a reference to American Trans Air Flight 406. That's unfortunate, as this incident reflects a far more common "failure to pressurize" event-the kind that continues to be a leading cause of hypoxia deaths in turbine aircraft.
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