Air France flight to Barcelona returned to Paris following a loss of pressurization.
Air France flight AF1448 departed Paris CDG to Barcelona on Friday but was forced to return only few minutes in the air.
The airbus A318 (registration F-GUGR) climbed to 29,000 ft and turned around only 20 minutes into the flight.
The A318 suffered a loss of cabin pressurization forcing the pilots to make a rapid descent to 8,000 ft.
Air France confirms that the crew of flight AF1448 on 3rd January 2005, from Paris CDG to Barcelona BCN operated by Airbus 318 decided to return to its base after 17 minutes of flight due to cabin pressure malfunction.
Air France
The aircraft returned back to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for an emergency landing on Saturday. No injuries have been reported.
In application of the emergency descent procedure, the crew activated the fall of the oxygen masks in the cabin because the automatic mask drop altitude had not yet been reached.
Air France
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.
It consists of a number of individual yellow oxygen masks stored in compartments near passenger seats and near areas like lavatories and galleys, and an oxygen source, like a centralized gaseous cylinder or decentralized chemical oxygen generator.
