Would you have taken this flight in this situation?

Yes, I would have stayed.

Back in the early days of deregulation I was sitting very close to the cockpit in a full no-name economy flight pushing back from the gate when we could hear an alarm go off on the other side of the door. The panels opened and the masks dropped. We were delayed by a half hour or so while the ground staff walked through and pushed everything back up.

The worse part was that the masks didn't fall for the seats next to mine -- we looked more closely at the panels and saw that they had been screwed shut. In the event of an actual emergency, there was no way those passengers were going to be able to get their masks.

I probably would. I was on a very turbulent flight once when masks dropped because of turbulence. We technically didn’t need them but as I was shaking and trying to put it on, flight got smooth. It was during descend and 20 min later we were on the ground.

I have also flown on old planes with side panel by window coming off, leaking AC. You name it!

Once I was on a Delta plane about to leave Tokyo. Then issue came up during taxing. We were told “there is a part malfunctioning on engine. We will wait here to get similar part from other airport in Tokyo”. After 2 hours “we are speaking to Atlanta crew to hopefully get it working”.
At that point I wasn’t so sure I wanted to fly on that plane. After 3 hours on runaway “we are waiting for tow back to gate. This flight is being cancelled’. Then I was mad as I had to scramble to get on a new flight.

I trust pilots won’t fly a plane that is not safe.

I've been on two flights where some masks dropped when the panel opened after a slam landing.

But random opening like that isn't really a safety issue - the question is how much tape was used and how difficult to get it open would it be?

Sorry for the delayed reply. Busy on the Convention floor, but tonight I made a pilgrimage to my dad's childhood home from the 1940s. He's gone now, and all I was able to get out of my mom (who isn't from Winnipeg [New Brunswick]) was that it was modest, and on a corner. Luckily I'm here with our genealogy librarian (and union president) and she was able to get the exact address with a minimum of work. So off we went to see it and then onwards to The Forks Market for dinner. Tomorrow the dance is being held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Avi, I'm stunned the panels were screwed shut
I thought the tape was sketchy enough. We always think it can't happen to us, until it does.

Joy, I would also like to think pilots wouldn't fly unsafe planes, but there are so many things they'd not know about.

me, that was my concern. The panels were sealed with 3" tape. If the oxygen masks were needed those folks would have to find a loose end to peel it off. I think I have a strong sense of self preservation (ask my sis about throwing her between myself and a crazed ostrich at a zoo when we were kids, and she's older and bigger) but I'd be shaking so much I'd never get the tape off.

Hopefully fate doesn't put me in that plane and row on the way home Friday.

You may want to fill out a complaint form and submit it to the airline expressing your concern about the safety aspect.

Masks dropping due to turbulence, hard landings, and the like isn't that unusual.

However, taping a compartment door shut, or even worse, screwing them shut, could get the arline in deep water with the FAA if it's a US airline. I don't know the rules for Canada.

I'm guessing they didn't want to delay the flights so they did these things. Odds are you won't need the masks but nice to know they will be there if needed.

If they spend some laughing gas through the masks it could become the funniest flight ever,

@Joy - "I trust pilots won’t fly a plane that is not safe."

Oddly this story just came up in my FB feed in the last week which addresses the issue of an experienced pilot who rejected a plane he'd flown the day before.

https://www.aircraftpilots.com/forums/topic/41242-delta-pilot-refuses-to-fly-boeing-757-atlanta-121025/

And Andrea....What a cool field trip to your Dad's old house! Yea to your friend who tracked down the address. Fingers crossed you do not get the duct taped plane on the way home!

I don't know that I would have rejected the flight, but I probably would have brought it up with the flight attendants and asked them about it.

I informed Air Canada about the safety issue on the survey, which of course may or may not ever be read.

I also assume that pilots, like everyone, have the right to refuse unsafe work. (I hope Americans have this right).

I also assume that pilots, like everyone, have the right to refuse unsafe work. (I hope Americans have this right).

Under US law, the captain of an aircraft has final say about flying that plane. No one, and I mean no one, can force the captin to do anything if he, or she, feels it is unsafe. No one including his company or even the government can override his decision.

I once had to disobey ATC due to a bad command. It's a long story but I was cleared and the controllers got in trouble.