MD80 aircraft had automatic pressurization failure requiring immediate descent. ATC aided flight crew with vectors, but reporter captain says they wandered off heading due to distraction with equipment problem.

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Attributes
ACN	394846
Time
Date	199802
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pmd
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	394846
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Cabin pressurization system (both) failed during descent and vector and altitude assistance was requested from ATC. System failure rectified with first officer providing control over pressure manually and uneventful landing was made. During maneuvering distraction caused by troubleshooting may have caused aircraft to wander too far off course. More focus on the aviate, navigation, communicate principle should have been the case.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ACFT HAD AUTO PRESSURIZATION FAILURE REQUIRING IMMEDIATE DSCNT. ATC AIDED FLC WITH VECTORS, BUT RPTR CAPT SAYS THEY WANDERED OFF HEADING DUE TO DISTR WITH EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: CABIN PRESSURIZATION SYS (BOTH) FAILED DURING DSCNT AND VECTOR AND ALT ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED FROM ATC. SYS FAILURE RECTIFIED WITH FO PROVIDING CTL OVER PRESSURE MANUALLY AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. DURING MANEUVERING DISTR CAUSED BY TROUBLESHOOTING MAY HAVE CAUSED ACFT TO WANDER TOO FAR OFF COURSE. MORE FOCUS ON THE AVIATE, NAV, COMMUNICATE PRINCIPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE.

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.