Narrative:

Air carrier flight departed atlanta, GA, for omaha, northeast, about 40 mins late. Takeoff, departure and climb were normal. About 10 mins after reaching cruise altitude of 35000 ft, the cabin altitude began to climb. I called for the loss of pressurization abnormal procedure, donned our oxygen masks and requested a descent from ATC. They were unable to grant our request, and I asked again. When I was again denied, I declared an emergency and requested an immediate descent. We were given a clearance to 24000 ft. I then called for the emergency descent abnormal and checked the status of the cabin. It was still climbing excessively, even after the abnormal procedure was accomplished. I then directed the so to notify the flight attendants of the problem and that the passenger masks might deploy. We were then given a descent to 16000 ft and a turn off course. About this time the cabin reached 14000 ft and the passenger oxygen masks deployed. During this time we were cleared to 10000 ft and given another vector. I also requested a diversion to st louis for landing. Once at 10000 ft, I made an announcement to the passenger that the situation was under control and that we would be landing in st louis to investigate the problem. The cabin reached a maximum altitude of about 15000 ft. After landing, I surveyed the passenger and crew for any signs of illness or injury, but none were reported. The entire crew of pilots and flight attendants handled this problem very professionally. The only human factors comment is that communication is difficult with the present B727 oxygen and interphone system. Supplemental information from acn 484108: I was on my second day of IOE. I was at the engineer's panel. The captain told me to switch to manual and 'close the outflow valve.' I told him that it was closed and advised him that I did not have control over the cabin and consider an emergency descent. While the check engineer and I worked the problem the captain and first officer worked on a descent. After we landed maintenance came and tried to pressurize the aircraft unsuccessfully. After careful inspection, it was noted that a substantial leak was found on the rear cargo door handle. The flight departed atl with 2 MEL's: APU inoperative and aircraft cargo door light will not extinguish.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 FLC DIVERTS TO STL AFTER EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE AT FL350 SE OF STL, MO.

Narrative: ACR FLT DEPARTED ATLANTA, GA, FOR OMAHA, NE, ABOUT 40 MINS LATE. TKOF, DEP AND CLB WERE NORMAL. ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT OF 35000 FT, THE CABIN ALT BEGAN TO CLB. I CALLED FOR THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION ABNORMAL PROC, DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND REQUESTED A DSCNT FROM ATC. THEY WERE UNABLE TO GRANT OUR REQUEST, AND I ASKED AGAIN. WHEN I WAS AGAIN DENIED, I DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO 24000 FT. I THEN CALLED FOR THE EMER DSCNT ABNORMAL AND CHKED THE STATUS OF THE CABIN. IT WAS STILL CLBING EXCESSIVELY, EVEN AFTER THE ABNORMAL PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED. I THEN DIRECTED THE SO TO NOTIFY THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE PROB AND THAT THE PAX MASKS MIGHT DEPLOY. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A DSCNT TO 16000 FT AND A TURN OFF COURSE. ABOUT THIS TIME THE CABIN REACHED 14000 FT AND THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS DEPLOYED. DURING THIS TIME WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT AND GIVEN ANOTHER VECTOR. I ALSO REQUESTED A DIVERSION TO ST LOUIS FOR LNDG. ONCE AT 10000 FT, I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX THAT THE SIT WAS UNDER CTL AND THAT WE WOULD BE LNDG IN ST LOUIS TO INVESTIGATE THE PROB. THE CABIN REACHED A MAX ALT OF ABOUT 15000 FT. AFTER LNDG, I SURVEYED THE PAX AND CREW FOR ANY SIGNS OF ILLNESS OR INJURY, BUT NONE WERE RPTED. THE ENTIRE CREW OF PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS HANDLED THIS PROB VERY PROFESSIONALLY. THE ONLY HUMAN FACTORS COMMENT IS THAT COM IS DIFFICULT WITH THE PRESENT B727 OXYGEN AND INTERPHONE SYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 484108: I WAS ON MY SECOND DAY OF IOE. I WAS AT THE ENGINEER'S PANEL. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO SWITCH TO MANUAL AND 'CLOSE THE OUTFLOW VALVE.' I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS CLOSED AND ADVISED HIM THAT I DID NOT HAVE CTL OVER THE CABIN AND CONSIDER AN EMER DSCNT. WHILE THE CHK ENGINEER AND I WORKED THE PROB THE CAPT AND FO WORKED ON A DSCNT. AFTER WE LANDED MAINT CAME AND TRIED TO PRESSURIZE THE ACFT UNSUCCESSFULLY. AFTER CAREFUL INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL LEAK WAS FOUND ON THE REAR CARGO DOOR HANDLE. THE FLT DEPARTED ATL WITH 2 MEL'S: APU INOP AND ACFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT WILL NOT EXTINGUISH.

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.