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I keep thinking that this sounds similar to the Payne Stewart incident, where a sudden decompression of the cabin happened, immediately killing everyone on board. However, that doesn't explain why the transponder was turned off.

Investigators of the Payne Stewart incident never concluded the speed of the decompression - whether it was slow or rapid. A commercial airliner's oxygen systems are automatic and should deploy when the cabin pressure exceeds a certain altitude - something not required of private jets. They also deploy for the pilots. At 35,000' the time of useful consciousness is from 30 to 60 seconds.

A rapid decompression could reduce that by half, though, if air is forced out of the lungs due to the decompression - source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_of_useful_consciousness

I keep thinking that this sounds similar to the Payne Stewart incident, where a sudden decompression of the cabin happened, immediately killing everyone on board. However, that doesn't explain why the transponder was turned off. Investigators of the Payne Stewart incident never concluded the speed of the decompression - whether it was slow or rapid. A commercial airliner's oxygen systems are automatic and should deploy when the cabin pressure exceeds a certain altitude - something not required of private jets. They also deploy for the pilots. At 35,000' the time of useful consciousness is from 30 to 60 seconds.
A rapid decompression could reduce that by half, though, if air is forced out of the lungs due to the decompression - source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_of_useful_consciousness

Thanks for the info.I'm just speculating here, and will be the frst to admit I know very little about aviation. This whole situation is just very bizarre.

“Investigators of the Payne Stewart incident never concluded the speed of the decompression - whether it was slow or rapid. A commercial airliner’s oxygen systems are automatic and should deploy when the cabin pressure exceeds a certain altitude - something not required of private jets. They also deploy for the pilots. At 35,000’ the time of useful consciousness is from 30 to 60 seconds”

You are not familiar with FAA certification standards. I am type rated in several types of “private” jets and they all have automatic oxygen mask deployment. On the other hand, pilot’s oxygen masks do NOT deploy automatically. Pilot’s have quick donning oxygen masks.