High-altitude Oxygen Rule: Compliance Conundrum
The requirement for an oxygen mask above 41,000 feet might create more problems than it solves, say some pilots.
Most professional pilots are diligent about following the rules except, of course, on those relatively rare occasions when they don’t agree with them. One of the standouts among ignored rules is 91.211, which governs the use of supplemental oxygen, said Rick Miller, chief pilot for Merck Sharp & Dohme, at the recent Business Aviation Safety Summit. The rule requires that above 41,000 feet, one pilot must use the mask at all times even with another pilot in the cockpit. The pragmatic reason behind 91.211 is to ensure pilots can maintain control of the aircraft in the event of a high-altitude explosive decompression. At 50,000 feet, the time of useful consciousness is a mere six to nine seconds, about the time that passes between pulling the power to idle over the threshold and touching down on the runway.
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