On Thursday, August 12, 2021, passengers on Aeroflot flight SU2143 received a special “surprise” during the screening of the film. The oxygen masks fell off on board the Airbus A350-900. However, there was no danger because, according to the Russian carrier, it was a malfunction.

The VP-BXP was on the way from Antalya to Moscow-SVO and the in-flight entertainment system was active. It was a quiet flight for the passengers before the screening stopped and the oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. Passengers and flight attendants were initially astonished, because in such cases there is usually some kind of “advance warning” from the cockpit or there is a noticeable sign.

Neither was the case and, as a precaution, the senior flight attendant consulted with the captain, who was also surprised that the oxygen masks had been triggered. He already knew this, because there was a corresponding message on the displays in the cockpit, but gave the all-clear. There was no pressure drop and the masks were triggered due to a malfunction of the corresponding safety system, which was not yet known in detail.

So the trip to Moscow continued without further incident. The travelers could continue to wear their MNS masks and did not have to “switch” to oxygen. Aeroflot took a close look at the affected machine and, according to its own statements, corrected the software error. The VP-BXP was able to be put back into regular service a short time later. Fortunately for the passengers, the malfunction was an event that one can smile about afterwards, because there was no danger at any point in time.