Indeed, "rapid" depressurization would be the preferred term. (I'm an instructor.) I try to be empathetic of the flying public when reading about in-flight eme

Indeed, "rapid" depressurization would be the preferred term. (I'm an instructor.) I try to be empathetic of the flying public when reading about in-flight emergencies. For passengers, a shredded engine and a broken window are terrifying. The deck angle at 3000 fpm is steeper than they've ever seen. I can understand why a passenger might use the phrase "going down." Obviously for pilots, engine failure and rapid depress are so textbook as to be boring. The captain practices responding to these emergencies every time she's in the sim. I don't envy the reporters. Balancing these two perspectives has got to be a hard job. And I can see how it's easy to get swept up in the emotionality.