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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of a DC8-63 cargo aircraft lost their supplemental oxygen due to line blow high altitude cruise causing a request from ATC flight a lower altitude. The crew were able to temporarily tape over the blow-out in the line and then continue on to their destination.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 340281 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 63 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 340281 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While en route from abc-xyz we had one of the oxygen lines blow. The main oxygen bottles (2: 1 crew, 1 courier) had to be turned off as shutting off the passenger oxygen regulators didn't stop the leak. (All cargo aircraft confign, passenger seats in cockpit only.) as this left us with no supplemental oxygen I requested clearance to descend to a lower altitude, FL210. Meanwhile the flight engineer continued to work on trying to find the leak which turned out to be a common line from both oxygen bottles into the observer's oxygen regulator. We were able to clamp the hose near the hole that oxygen was leaking with a pair of pliers held by tape from the first aid kit. We then could restore oxygen to all but one seat position. That seat position was covered by bringing up the walkaround oxygen bottle from the cargo compartment. Most pilots of jet aircraft think of supplemental oxygen in jets for use in case of loss of cabin pressure, however, it is also used in case of contaminated air (smoke, fire, hazardous spills). Overland, landing at the nearest suitable airport would be prudent and easy, if this had occurred overwater being creative and using materials at hand can keep a situation safe rather than deteriorating into a more hazardous situation. Example is that seeking a lower altitude wouldn't work because increased fuel consumption. Also having some basic tools with you (in this case a leatherman tool) can be very handy.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A DC8-63 CARGO ACFT LOST THEIR SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN DUE TO LINE BLOW HIGH ALT CRUISE CAUSING A REQUEST FROM ATC FLT A LOWER ALT. THE CREW WERE ABLE TO TEMPORARILY TAPE OVER THE BLOW-OUT IN THE LINE AND THEN CONTINUE ON TO THEIR DEST.
Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM ABC-XYZ WE HAD ONE OF THE OXYGEN LINES BLOW. THE MAIN OXYGEN BOTTLES (2: 1 CREW, 1 COURIER) HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AS SHUTTING OFF THE PAX OXYGEN REGULATORS DIDN'T STOP THE LEAK. (ALL CARGO ACFT CONFIGN, PAX SEATS IN COCKPIT ONLY.) AS THIS LEFT US WITH NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN I REQUESTED CLRNC TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT, FL210. MEANWHILE THE FE CONTINUED TO WORK ON TRYING TO FIND THE LEAK WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A COMMON LINE FROM BOTH OXYGEN BOTTLES INTO THE OBSERVER'S OXYGEN REGULATOR. WE WERE ABLE TO CLAMP THE HOSE NEAR THE HOLE THAT OXYGEN WAS LEAKING WITH A PAIR OF PLIERS HELD BY TAPE FROM THE FIRST AID KIT. WE THEN COULD RESTORE OXYGEN TO ALL BUT ONE SEAT POS. THAT SEAT POS WAS COVERED BY BRINGING UP THE WALKAROUND OXYGEN BOTTLE FROM THE CARGO COMPARTMENT. MOST PLTS OF JET ACFT THINK OF SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN IN JETS FOR USE IN CASE OF LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE, HOWEVER, IT IS ALSO USED IN CASE OF CONTAMINATED AIR (SMOKE, FIRE, HAZARDOUS SPILLS). OVERLAND, LNDG AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WOULD BE PRUDENT AND EASY, IF THIS HAD OCCURRED OVERWATER BEING CREATIVE AND USING MATERIALS AT HAND CAN KEEP A SIT SAFE RATHER THAN DETERIORATING INTO A MORE HAZARDOUS SIT. EXAMPLE IS THAT SEEKING A LOWER ALT WOULDN'T WORK BECAUSE INCREASED FUEL CONSUMPTION. ALSO HAVING SOME BASIC TOOLS WITH YOU (IN THIS CASE A LEATHERMAN TOOL) CAN BE VERY HANDY.
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.