Flight crew of S80 has crew oxygen leak. They descend and continue, but in hindsight feel they shoul...

Attributes
ACN	408723
Time
Date	199807
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : irk
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
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	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	408723
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

ATC facility: ZAU. Location: irk. En route from phx to ord at FL330 first officer stepped back to the cabin to use the lavatory. At that point I noticed my oxygen mask was leaking oxygen. I checked the crew oxygen bottle and noticed it was below 600-700 psi. After referring to the operating manual, which did not have a procedure, I elected to descend to 15000 ft initially and continued the descent to 10000 ft and continue to ord which in my judgement was the nearest suitable airport. My thinking was that flying at 10000 ft we eliminated the danger of cabin depressurization. However in retrospect I didn't consider the possibility of smoke in which case I probably should have considered a closer divert airport rather than to continue to ord.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF S80 HAS CREW OXYGEN LEAK. THEY DSND AND CONTINUE, BUT IN HINDSIGHT FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: ZAU. LOCATION: IRK. ENRTE FROM PHX TO ORD AT FL330 FO STEPPED BACK TO THE CABIN TO USE THE LAVATORY. AT THAT POINT I NOTICED MY OXYGEN MASK WAS LEAKING OXYGEN. I CHKED THE CREW OXYGEN BOTTLE AND NOTICED IT WAS BELOW 600-700 PSI. AFTER REFERRING TO THE OPERATING MANUAL, WHICH DID NOT HAVE A PROC, I ELECTED TO DSND TO 15000 FT INITIALLY AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO 10000 FT AND CONTINUE TO ORD WHICH IN MY JUDGEMENT WAS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. MY THINKING WAS THAT FLYING AT 10000 FT WE ELIMINATED THE DANGER OF CABIN DEPRESSURIZATION. HOWEVER IN RETROSPECT I DIDN'T CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF SMOKE IN WHICH CASE I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED A CLOSER DIVERT ARPT RATHER THAN TO CONTINUE TO ORD.

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.

Flight crew of S80 has crew oxygen leak. They descend and continue, but in hindsight feel they should have diverted.