Narrative:

During the walkaround, the first officer discovered a bad tire. He set in motion the activity of getting the tire replaced. Passenger were boarded, then deplaned. It took several hours to complete the repair. Passenger were boarded once more and we began to taxi out. There were a series of electrical outages as the cockpit crew did their checks. After takeoff, I immediately noticed that my ears kept stopping up. I asked the #1 flight attendant if he noticed this as well. He did. I then went to the rear of the plane and was informed (and did see and hear for myself) a large, loud air leak in the aft galley door. I then felt the plane level off, and the captain give 4 dings. I told the #2 and #4 flight attendants to reseat the passenger in the aft of the aircraft away from the door. I then returned to the front of the plane to consult the #1 flight attendant. As I began to speak to him, I again heard 4 bells. I then entered the cockpit. The captain informed me that we were returning to the field. He said we would be landing hard and fast and to make sure everyone stayed seated. He made an announcement about this and so did I. I informed the other flight attendants and we landed without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that this particular plane they were flying (the R90) was acquired from another airline in a merger, and they didn't have all the spare parts to fix it. That's why it took over 3-4 hours to replace the tire. They had to get the particular wrench for the tire from sfo and the mechanic had to come up from san jose. They were only up in the air for 2-3 mins when the cockpit panels were lighting up about not being able to pressurize the plane. After landing heavy, without dumping fuel, the flight canceled and everyone spent the night in oakland. Supplemental information from acn 486074: the most important aspect of this situation was that the #1 flight attendant had no idea that he should report to the cockpit immediately upon hearing 4 chimes. The captain had to ring 4 chimes twice and only then did the #3 flight attendant take the lead and go into the cockpit. It was only after the second chime after takeoff that I got up out of my jump seat and went into the G3, G4 galley. Immediately, I noticed the amount of air that was coming in around the door and the noise was unbearably loud. Callback conversation with reporter acn 486074 revealed the following information: this reporter's main concern was the fact that the male flight attendant who was the purser, and therefore in charge of the cabin, did not respond or understand the significance of 4 chimes from the cockpit (an emergency signal from the cockpit). He evidently had a bad head injury a yr ago and was in a coma for a long time. He sounded confused at times before the incident even happened, talked strangely and was lacking common sense. If it weren't for the quick action of the other reporter and herself, it could have been a different scenario. The plane had a lot more problems than pressurization, but the captain told her that they didn't have to prepare the passenger for evacuate/evacuation, but just be prepared for a hard landing, because they weren't dumping any fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD-R-90, OAK-LAX. FO DISCOVERED BAD TIRE, 3 HR MAINT DELAY. TKOF. DOOR PRESSURE PROB. RETURN TO OAK. HVY, HARD LNDG. FLT CANCELED. PURSER UNRESPONSIVE.

Narrative: DURING THE WALKAROUND, THE FO DISCOVERED A BAD TIRE. HE SET IN MOTION THE ACTIVITY OF GETTING THE TIRE REPLACED. PAX WERE BOARDED, THEN DEPLANED. IT TOOK SEVERAL HRS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. PAX WERE BOARDED ONCE MORE AND WE BEGAN TO TAXI OUT. THERE WERE A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL OUTAGES AS THE COCKPIT CREW DID THEIR CHKS. AFTER TKOF, I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT MY EARS KEPT STOPPING UP. I ASKED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT IF HE NOTICED THIS AS WELL. HE DID. I THEN WENT TO THE REAR OF THE PLANE AND WAS INFORMED (AND DID SEE AND HEAR FOR MYSELF) A LARGE, LOUD AIR LEAK IN THE AFT GALLEY DOOR. I THEN FELT THE PLANE LEVEL OFF, AND THE CAPT GIVE 4 DINGS. I TOLD THE #2 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS TO RESEAT THE PAX IN THE AFT OF THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE DOOR. I THEN RETURNED TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE TO CONSULT THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. AS I BEGAN TO SPEAK TO HIM, I AGAIN HEARD 4 BELLS. I THEN ENTERED THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE FIELD. HE SAID WE WOULD BE LNDG HARD AND FAST AND TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE STAYED SEATED. HE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THIS AND SO DID I. I INFORMED THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS AND WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS PARTICULAR PLANE THEY WERE FLYING (THE R90) WAS ACQUIRED FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE IN A MERGER, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE SPARE PARTS TO FIX IT. THAT'S WHY IT TOOK OVER 3-4 HRS TO REPLACE THE TIRE. THEY HAD TO GET THE PARTICULAR WRENCH FOR THE TIRE FROM SFO AND THE MECH HAD TO COME UP FROM SAN JOSE. THEY WERE ONLY UP IN THE AIR FOR 2-3 MINS WHEN THE COCKPIT PANELS WERE LIGHTING UP ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO PRESSURIZE THE PLANE. AFTER LNDG HVY, WITHOUT DUMPING FUEL, THE FLT CANCELED AND EVERYONE SPENT THE NIGHT IN OAKLAND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486074: THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS SIT WAS THAT THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT HAD NO IDEA THAT HE SHOULD RPT TO THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY UPON HEARING 4 CHIMES. THE CAPT HAD TO RING 4 CHIMES TWICE AND ONLY THEN DID THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT TAKE THE LEAD AND GO INTO THE COCKPIT. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE SECOND CHIME AFTER TKOF THAT I GOT UP OUT OF MY JUMP SEAT AND WENT INTO THE G3, G4 GALLEY. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED THE AMOUNT OF AIR THAT WAS COMING IN AROUND THE DOOR AND THE NOISE WAS UNBEARABLY LOUD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 486074 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR'S MAIN CONCERN WAS THE FACT THAT THE MALE FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS THE PURSER, AND THEREFORE IN CHARGE OF THE CABIN, DID NOT RESPOND OR UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 4 CHIMES FROM THE COCKPIT (AN EMER SIGNAL FROM THE COCKPIT). HE EVIDENTLY HAD A BAD HEAD INJURY A YR AGO AND WAS IN A COMA FOR A LONG TIME. HE SOUNDED CONFUSED AT TIMES BEFORE THE INCIDENT EVEN HAPPENED, TALKED STRANGELY AND WAS LACKING COMMON SENSE. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE QUICK ACTION OF THE OTHER RPTR AND HERSELF, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT SCENARIO. THE PLANE HAD A LOT MORE PROBS THAN PRESSURIZATION, BUT THE CAPT TOLD HER THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PREPARE THE PAX FOR EVAC, BUT JUST BE PREPARED FOR A HARD LNDG, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T DUMPING ANY FUEL.

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.