<< >> NASA ASRS Report 397121, March 1998

An MD88 on climb out at 12800 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to inability to pressurize the cabin caused by a failed 2L door seal.

Attributes
ACN	397121
Time
Date	199803
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12800 msl bound upper : 12800
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 950
ASRS Report	397121
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight xyz, mar/xa/98, cvg-tpa ship yyz, captain was PF. Departure uneventful, bluegrass 3 heading south, and cleared direct hyk and climb to 13000 ft. Aircraft pressurization did not keep up due to inadequate door seal at 2L. At approximately 12500 ft, cabin warning illuminated. An immediate descent and return to cvg was coordinated with ATC. Doors message was checked closed. An emergency was declared after source of pressure leak was found. Rushing air disturbed passenger and flight attendants. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was an MD88 and the door at 2L was a plug-type door and the lower portion of the door seal was missing. The reporter said the passenger seated near the door were quite upset at the noise and seeing daylight at the bottom edge of the door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 ON CLBOUT AT 12800 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO INABILITY TO PRESSURIZE THE CABIN CAUSED BY A FAILED 2L DOOR SEAL.

Narrative: FLT XYZ, MAR/XA/98, CVG-TPA SHIP YYZ, CAPT WAS PF. DEP UNEVENTFUL, BLUEGRASS 3 HEADING S, AND CLRED DIRECT HYK AND CLB TO 13000 FT. ACFT PRESSURIZATION DID NOT KEEP UP DUE TO INADEQUATE DOOR SEAL AT 2L. AT APPROX 12500 FT, CABIN WARNING ILLUMINATED. AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND RETURN TO CVG WAS COORDINATED WITH ATC. DOORS MESSAGE WAS CHKED CLOSED. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AFTER SOURCE OF PRESSURE LEAK WAS FOUND. RUSHING AIR DISTURBED PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS AN MD88 AND THE DOOR AT 2L WAS A PLUG-TYPE DOOR AND THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DOOR SEAL WAS MISSING. THE RPTR SAID THE PAX SEATED NEAR THE DOOR WERE QUITE UPSET AT THE NOISE AND SEEING DAYLIGHT AT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE DOOR.

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.