Narrative:

While in level cruise flight at 31000 ft MSL, aircraft lost cabin pressure. Copilot and I donned oxygen masks and I initiated emergency descent. After descending approximately 500 ft the copilot had cabin pressure under control using manual mode, so I leveled the aircraft at 30500 ft MSL. We had no passenger on board so we climbed back up to 31000 ft MSL. We requested a descent to 25000 ft MSL and ZHU eventually cleared us to descend. The pressurization system continued to hold cabin pressure properly and the rest of the flight was uneventful. There were no proximity problems with other aircraft that we were made aware of, but ZHU did notice our altitude loss and questioned it. I feel that as a crew we did everything properly, but as a captain I should have been more aggressive in requesting a lower altitude. Since we (crew) both had our oxygen masks on and there were no passenger on board I was not very forceful, and it took the controller too long (in my opinion) to clear us to a lower altitude, considering we were experiencing cabin pressurization problems. Also, since we had regained control of the cabin pressure I was not as forceful in requesting a lower altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX FLC LOSES PRESSURIZATION IN THEIR LTT WHILE IN CRUISE AND STARTS AN UNAUTH DSCNT WITHOUT, APPARENTLY, DECLARING AN EMER. THE FLC REGAINS CTL OF THE PRESSURIZATION AND RETURNS TO THEIR ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED ALT, AGAIN WITHOUT ARTCC AUTH.

Narrative: WHILE IN LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT 31000 FT MSL, ACFT LOST CABIN PRESSURE. COPLT AND I DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AND I INITIATED EMER DSCNT. AFTER DSNDING APPROX 500 FT THE COPLT HAD CABIN PRESSURE UNDER CTL USING MANUAL MODE, SO I LEVELED THE ACFT AT 30500 FT MSL. WE HAD NO PAX ON BOARD SO WE CLBED BACK UP TO 31000 FT MSL. WE REQUESTED A DSCNT TO 25000 FT MSL AND ZHU EVENTUALLY CLRED US TO DSND. THE PRESSURIZATION SYS CONTINUED TO HOLD CABIN PRESSURE PROPERLY AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THERE WERE NO PROX PROBS WITH OTHER ACFT THAT WE WERE MADE AWARE OF, BUT ZHU DID NOTICE OUR ALT LOSS AND QUESTIONED IT. I FEEL THAT AS A CREW WE DID EVERYTHING PROPERLY, BUT AS A CAPT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN REQUESTING A LOWER ALT. SINCE WE (CREW) BOTH HAD OUR OXYGEN MASKS ON AND THERE WERE NO PAX ON BOARD I WAS NOT VERY FORCEFUL, AND IT TOOK THE CTLR TOO LONG (IN MY OPINION) TO CLR US TO A LOWER ALT, CONSIDERING WE WERE EXPERIENCING CABIN PRESSURIZATION PROBS. ALSO, SINCE WE HAD REGAINED CTL OF THE CABIN PRESSURE I WAS NOT AS FORCEFUL IN REQUESTING A LOWER ALT.

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.