Air Hostess Reveals The Mid-Air Sound You Never Want To Hear

Ding. Crack. Rattle. Humming. There’s a range of very normal noises passengers hear in flight, and now a flight attendant is trying to demystify some of them.

American cabin crew member Tommy Cimato posted on TikTok the meaning of the different chime sounds passengers hear on planes in a video that has been viewed more than 12 million times.

Essentially, the chimes are how the crew communicates with each other, and each chime indicates a different code; one chime has a different meaning than two or three chimes.

“Have you ever heard these sounds on an airplane before? Ever wondered what it means?” said Tommy.

A chime is frequently used on flights and simply signifies that a passenger has pressed the call button.

“If you only hear one tone, that means a passenger is calling one of the flight attendants from their seat or they can call us from the lavatory,” Tommy said.

However, hearing three chimes is less common and more of a concern as it signals an emergency.

“If you hear three of these high-low chimes, that means it’s an emergency – but you never have to hear that,” he said.

And a high pitched sound followed by a low pitched sound has a different meaning – a crew member is trying to communicate with another crewmate or the cockpit is trying to call the flight attendants.

“A high-low chime means a flight attendant is trying to call the other flight attendant or the cockpit is trying to call us,” Tommy explained.

Others have commented on TikTok about the chimes, saying the system may vary from airline to airline.

One person commented: ‘Beware though, each airline’s chime systems are different. My airline used the three chimes to let the FA know we were about to land.

And another wrote: ‘The plane I’m working on at three chimes is specifically calling out the commissioner.’

Others shared their stories of hearing the three chimes: “I heard three tones once and all the combat assistants froze. Turns out it was an accident, but I overheard them talking about what it meant afterwards.

Another added: “I left the ROC yesterday (12/11) and there were 55 knot winds on takeoff. I heard the three chimes and wondered what it meant

Finally, another said: “Heard the three chimes on a nine hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. It was a smoke alarm from a woman using hairspray in the bathroom – it scared me to death.

While another said: ‘I called with three tones several times in a row, wondering why no one answered. The pilots panicked. It was my first flight as an air hostess.