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Flight crew of an medium large transport declared emergency when noting that the cabin altitude was climbing and no action was stopping it. However, prior to landing the cabin over pressurized causing passenger ear discomfort.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 506114 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200103 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 11100 flight time type : 1317 |
| ASRS Report | 506114 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event : passenger illness other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cabin pressure other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
While at cruise FL270, cabin altitude warning sounded. Cabin altitude was 10000 ft. Accomplished cabin altitude warning qrc. Outflow valve appeared full closed, but we switched to manual AC and moved to close to confirm. Cabin was still climbing at 300-500 FPM. Accomplished emergency descent qrc. Declared emergency. During reference actions noted cabin altitude was still above 10000 ft. Approaching 10000 ft MSL, noticed cabin was pressurizing rapidly. Cabin altitude was below sea level. Moved pressure controller to standby and cabin climbed back to field elevation. Paramedics requested through dispatch to meet flight to treat passenger who complained of ear and sinus pain. On ground, spoke with dispatch and sam. This report is filed also on behalf of first officer. Human factors: 4TH leg of day and late. Horn started as first officer was getting up to use lavatory and first thought he did something to set off takeoff warning horn. Cabin was rising slowly and felt nothing in ears. Later, as cabin pressurized rapidly, we were involved in rapid descent and checklist.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN MLG DECLARED EMER WHEN NOTING THAT THE CABIN ALT WAS CLBING AND NO ACTION WAS STOPPING IT. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO LNDG THE CABIN OVER PRESSURIZED CAUSING PAX EAR DISCOMFORT.
Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE FL270, CABIN ALT WARNING SOUNDED. CABIN ALT WAS 10000 FT. ACCOMPLISHED CABIN ALT WARNING QRC. OUTFLOW VALVE APPEARED FULL CLOSED, BUT WE SWITCHED TO MANUAL AC AND MOVED TO CLOSE TO CONFIRM. CABIN WAS STILL CLBING AT 300-500 FPM. ACCOMPLISHED EMER DSCNT QRC. DECLARED EMER. DURING REF ACTIONS NOTED CABIN ALT WAS STILL ABOVE 10000 FT. APCHING 10000 FT MSL, NOTICED CABIN WAS PRESSURIZING RAPIDLY. CABIN ALT WAS BELOW SEA LEVEL. MOVED PRESSURE CONTROLLER TO STANDBY AND CABIN CLBED BACK TO FIELD ELEVATION. PARAMEDICS REQUESTED THROUGH DISPATCH TO MEET FLT TO TREAT PAX WHO COMPLAINED OF EAR AND SINUS PAIN. ON GND, SPOKE WITH DISPATCH AND SAM. THIS RPT IS FILED ALSO ON BEHALF OF FO. HUMAN FACTORS: 4TH LEG OF DAY AND LATE. HORN STARTED AS FO WAS GETTING UP TO USE LAVATORY AND FIRST THOUGHT HE DID SOMETHING TO SET OFF TKOF WARNING HORN. CABIN WAS RISING SLOWLY AND FELT NOTHING IN EARS. LATER, AS CABIN PRESSURIZED RAPIDLY, WE WERE INVOLVED IN RAPID DSCNT AND CHKLIST.
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.