Narrative:

We departed sba for a flight to smf. Climbing out of sba, we had difficulty pressurizing the cabin. Climbing through 6000 ft, the cabin pressurized and we continued the flight. Climbing through 15000 ft, there was a loud sound that was obviously the cabin door seal failing, and the aircraft beginning to depressurize. At about 15500 ft. I began a descent and completed all checklist items pertaining to the situation. I started the descent because the cabin depressurized rather rapidly. We had lost several thousand ft before we completed the checklists and were able to contact ATC (the frequency 119.05 was very busy). At this point I felt we needed to declare an emergency because we had lost several thousand ft before we were able to get a descent clearance. We leveled at 10000 ft and determined that everything was normal and that, in fact, the cabin door seal had failed. We decided to continue to smf since everything was normal. When we arrived in smf, we inspected the cabin door seal and found it had detached from the airframe. The system was deferred and repairs made at a later time. I felt that my training for this situation was lacking. Although I have worked for this company for 5 yrs, and generally their training is very good, I had only been through a similar training event in the simulator, 1 time, with no discussion before or after of what to do. The training session occurred only after we had an aircraft blow a window out at FL200, 1 yr ago. I would recommend more training for these sits, for turboprop operators. Even though we normally operate at lower altitudes, we do operate at altitudes where these sits can, if not handled correctly, create health or other problems for passenger and crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXPERIENCED A CABIN PRESSURE LOSS, AND DSNDED WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED SBA FOR A FLT TO SMF. CLBING OUT OF SBA, WE HAD DIFFICULTY PRESSURIZING THE CABIN. CLBING THROUGH 6000 FT, THE CABIN PRESSURIZED AND WE CONTINUED THE FLT. CLBING THROUGH 15000 FT, THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY THE CABIN DOOR SEAL FAILING, AND THE ACFT BEGINNING TO DEPRESSURIZE. AT ABOUT 15500 FT. I BEGAN A DSCNT AND COMPLETED ALL CHKLIST ITEMS PERTAINING TO THE SIT. I STARTED THE DSCNT BECAUSE THE CABIN DEPRESSURIZED RATHER RAPIDLY. WE HAD LOST SEVERAL THOUSAND FT BEFORE WE COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS AND WERE ABLE TO CONTACT ATC (THE FREQ 119.05 WAS VERY BUSY). AT THIS POINT I FELT WE NEEDED TO DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE WE HAD LOST SEVERAL THOUSAND FT BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO GET A DSCNT CLRNC. WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT AND DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND THAT, IN FACT, THE CABIN DOOR SEAL HAD FAILED. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO SMF SINCE EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN SMF, WE INSPECTED THE CABIN DOOR SEAL AND FOUND IT HAD DETACHED FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE SYS WAS DEFERRED AND REPAIRS MADE AT A LATER TIME. I FELT THAT MY TRAINING FOR THIS SIT WAS LACKING. ALTHOUGH I HAVE WORKED FOR THIS COMPANY FOR 5 YRS, AND GENERALLY THEIR TRAINING IS VERY GOOD, I HAD ONLY BEEN THROUGH A SIMILAR TRAINING EVENT IN THE SIMULATOR, 1 TIME, WITH NO DISCUSSION BEFORE OR AFTER OF WHAT TO DO. THE TRAINING SESSION OCCURRED ONLY AFTER WE HAD AN ACFT BLOW A WINDOW OUT AT FL200, 1 YR AGO. I WOULD RECOMMEND MORE TRAINING FOR THESE SITS, FOR TURBOPROP OPERATORS. EVEN THOUGH WE NORMALLY OPERATE AT LOWER ALTS, WE DO OPERATE AT ALTS WHERE THESE SITS CAN, IF NOT HANDLED CORRECTLY, CREATE HEALTH OR OTHER PROBS FOR PAX AND CREW MEMBERS.

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.