Emergency descent executed when light transport cabin pressure lost.

Attributes
ACN	217007
Time
Date	199207
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw tower : day
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	217007
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a routine maintenance check flight following a scheduled aircraft inspection, while checking the operation of the manual pressurization system, cabin pressurization control was lost and a rapid decompression followed. An 'emergency descent' to 11000 ft was performed, however an 'emergency' was never actually declared to ATC, and although ATC was made aware that 14000 ft or below was required, they never inquired as to whether we were 'declaring an emergency.' the most noticeable difficulty encountered during the decompression and the ensuing descent was the ability to communicate between the flight crew members because of the noise as pressurization was lost (which is extreme and not simulated during 6 month check) and also because of the crew's use of headsets with boom microphones that inhibit/delay the use of quick donning masks and reselection of speaker/mask communication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DSCNT EXECUTED WHEN LTT CABIN PRESSURE LOST.

Narrative: DURING A ROUTINE MAINT CHK FLT FOLLOWING A SCHEDULED ACFT INSPECTION, WHILE CHKING THE OP OF THE MANUAL PRESSURIZATION SYS, CABIN PRESSURIZATION CTL WAS LOST AND A RAPID DECOMPRESSION FOLLOWED. AN 'EMER DSCNT' TO 11000 FT WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER AN 'EMER' WAS NEVER ACTUALLY DECLARED TO ATC, AND ALTHOUGH ATC WAS MADE AWARE THAT 14000 FT OR BELOW WAS REQUIRED, THEY NEVER INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER WE WERE 'DECLARING AN EMER.' THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFICULTY ENCOUNTERED DURING THE DECOMPRESSION AND THE ENSUING DSCNT WAS THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE BTWN THE FLT CREW MEMBERS BECAUSE OF THE NOISE AS PRESSURIZATION WAS LOST (WHICH IS EXTREME AND NOT SIMULATED DURING 6 MONTH CHK) AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE CREW'S USE OF HEADSETS WITH BOOM MICROPHONES THAT INHIBIT/DELAY THE USE OF QUICK DONNING MASKS AND RESELECTION OF SPEAKER/MASK COM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.