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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Pressurization failure to FL350. Emergency descent. Emergency declared. Landed at nearest suitable airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 110788 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198905 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fam |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 9800 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 110788 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
A few minutes after reaching FL350 cabin rapidly depressurized. Cockpit crew verified rapid decompression, began emergency descent, declared an emergency condition with ARTCC and simultaneously requested a direct vector to the nearest suitable airport which was determined by captain to be stl 110 mi away. All emergency checklists and normal checklists completed and an uneventful approach and landing was made. No injuries. I have unfortunately done 2 emergency dscnts in the last 18 months due to the same computer failure of the pressurization system. The odds against that are staggering. I believe this aircraft's automatic cabin controllers should be looked at carefully. Also, emergency procedure training at my company for emergency dscnts needs to be reviewed and modified as well as thought given to many factors never discussed during training.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PRESSURIZATION FAILURE TO FL350. EMERGENCY DESCENT. EMERGENCY DECLARED. LANDED AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.
Narrative: A FEW MINUTES AFTER REACHING FL350 CABIN RAPIDLY DEPRESSURIZED. COCKPIT CREW VERIFIED RAPID DECOMPRESSION, BEGAN EMER DSCNT, DECLARED AN EMER CONDITION WITH ARTCC AND SIMULTANEOUSLY REQUESTED A DIRECT VECTOR TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WHICH WAS DETERMINED BY CAPT TO BE STL 110 MI AWAY. ALL EMER CHECKLISTS AND NORMAL CHECKLISTS COMPLETED AND AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE. NO INJURIES. I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY DONE 2 EMER DSCNTS IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS DUE TO THE SAME COMPUTER FAILURE OF THE PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM. THE ODDS AGAINST THAT ARE STAGGERING. I BELIEVE THIS ACFT'S AUTO CABIN CTLRS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY. ALSO, EMER PROC TRAINING AT MY COMPANY FOR EMER DSCNTS NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED AND MODIFIED AS WELL AS THOUGHT GIVEN TO MANY FACTORS NEVER DISCUSSED DURING TRAINING.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.