B737 flight crew declared an emergency during arrival descent after a loss of pressurization.

Attributes
ACN	558467
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt.tracon
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : unarm
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	558467
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight was from atl to clt. While descending on the unarm arrival, the master caution illuminated showing a window overheat. Shortly thereafter, the cabin altitude warning sounded the cabin pressure was above 10000 ft. First officer and I donned our oxygen masks and performed the QRH checklist. Clt approach was very busy. We declared an emergency and requested 10000 ft. On descending to a lower altitude, the manual pressurization worked somewhat. A normal approach was performed in IMC to clt runway 36L.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC DECLARED AN EMER DURING ARR DSCNT AFTER A LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION.

Narrative: FLT WAS FROM ATL TO CLT. WHILE DSNDING ON THE UNARM ARR, THE MASTER CAUTION ILLUMINATED SHOWING A WINDOW OVERHEAT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CABIN ALT WARNING SOUNDED THE CABIN PRESSURE WAS ABOVE 10000 FT. FO AND I DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND PERFORMED THE QRH CHKLIST. CLT APCH WAS VERY BUSY. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED 10000 FT. ON DSNDING TO A LOWER ALT, THE MANUAL PRESSURIZATION WORKED SOMEWHAT. A NORMAL APCH WAS PERFORMED IN IMC TO CLT RWY 36L.

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.