Narrative:

We were in an enroute climb to FL350 on an IFR flight plan from teb to bfi. Passing FL330 we had an EICAS 'autopress' message with a rapid rate of descent noted on the cabin attendant altitude. The captain donned his oxygen mask and called for an emergency descent. As he began the descent I coordinated with ny ARTCC for an immediate descent, citing a pressure problem. We were cleared to 17000 ft after verifying our position. During the descent, I carried out the 'abnormal' checklist for the autopressure failure. We regained pressure control manually and after coordination with ny ARTCC resumed our climb to altitude and continued to destination using manual control for the pressure system. While the emergency descent was not completely necessary, the captain erred on the side of conservatism. In retrospect training tends to focus so much on rapid depressurization, that a simple system failure such as this was taken to be more serious than it was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL60 CREW, PASSING FL330 CLIMBING, HAD A LOSS OF CAB PRESSURE CTL. ABLE TO REGAIN CTL MANUALLY, CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative: WE WERE IN AN ENROUTE CLIMB TO FL350 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM TEB TO BFI. PASSING FL330 WE HAD AN EICAS 'AUTOPRESS' MSG WITH A RAPID RATE OF DESCENT NOTED ON THE CAB ALT. THE CAPT DONNED HIS OXYGEN MASK AND CALLED FOR AN EMERGENCY DESCENT. AS HE BEGAN THE DESCENT I COORDINATED WITH NY ARTCC FOR AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT, CITING A PRESSURE PROB. WE WERE CLRED TO 17000 FT AFTER VERIFYING OUR POS. DURING THE DESCENT, I CARRIED OUT THE 'ABNORMAL' CHECKLIST FOR THE AUTOPRESSURE FAILURE. WE REGAINED PRESSURE CTL MANUALLY AND AFTER COORD WITH NY ARTCC RESUMED OUR CLIMB TO ALT AND CONTINUED TO DEST USING MANUAL CTL FOR THE PRESSURE SYS. WHILE THE EMER DESCENT WAS NOT COMPLETELY NECESSARY, THE CAPT ERRED ON THE SIDE OF CONSERVATISM. IN RETROSPECT TRAINING TENDS TO FOCUS SO MUCH ON RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION, THAT A SIMPLE SYS FAILURE SUCH AS THIS WAS TAKEN TO BE MORE SERIOUS THAN IT WAS.

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.