B737-700 crew lost cabin pressurization and made an emergency descent in ZMA airspace.

Attributes
ACN	561772
Time
Date	200209
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 13 flight attendant time total : 13 flight attendant time type : 6
ASRS Report	561772
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Approximately 15 mins after takeoff, captain called to inform me that aircraft was losing cabin pressure and would descend to 10000 ft. A few mins after our conversation, the oxygen masks dropped throughout the cabin. I immediately made a PA for passenger to don their oxygen mask. After taking a few breaths from my own oxygen mask at my jump seat, I made my way through the aircraft, using oxygen masks at passenger seats to check on passenger. I was surprised to find a couple passenger did not don an oxygen mask. Even more surprising was parents of 2 families donned masks but failed to put masks on their children, 2 children were infants. Some of the children's masks were still suspended by the lanyard, oxygen will not flow from generator until lanyard is pulled. I quickly pulled children's masks down to them and instructed parents to keep masks on them even though they may push mask away. As I reached aft galley, I made another PA reminding passenger to keep masks on until further advised. Once the aircraft reached 10000 ft, captain made PA informing passenger of the decompression. Flight attendants walked through cabin informing passenger it was safe to remove masks and to reassure them all was well. I made another PA to explain the burning odor caused by the oxygen generators. Flight made an emergency landing in mia where flight was met by paramedics and passenger service (FSS). Passenger were directed to an awaiting aircraft which took them to destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW LOST CABIN PRESSURIZATION AND MADE AN EMER DSCNT IN ZMA AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MINS AFTER TKOF, CAPT CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT ACFT WAS LOSING CABIN PRESSURE AND WOULD DSND TO 10000 FT. A FEW MINS AFTER OUR CONVERSATION, THE OXYGEN MASKS DROPPED THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A PA FOR PAX TO DON THEIR OXYGEN MASK. AFTER TAKING A FEW BREATHS FROM MY OWN OXYGEN MASK AT MY JUMP SEAT, I MADE MY WAY THROUGH THE ACFT, USING OXYGEN MASKS AT PAX SEATS TO CHK ON PAX. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A COUPLE PAX DID NOT DON AN OXYGEN MASK. EVEN MORE SURPRISING WAS PARENTS OF 2 FAMILIES DONNED MASKS BUT FAILED TO PUT MASKS ON THEIR CHILDREN, 2 CHILDREN WERE INFANTS. SOME OF THE CHILDREN'S MASKS WERE STILL SUSPENDED BY THE LANYARD, OXYGEN WILL NOT FLOW FROM GENERATOR UNTIL LANYARD IS PULLED. I QUICKLY PULLED CHILDREN'S MASKS DOWN TO THEM AND INSTRUCTED PARENTS TO KEEP MASKS ON THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY PUSH MASK AWAY. AS I REACHED AFT GALLEY, I MADE ANOTHER PA REMINDING PAX TO KEEP MASKS ON UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. ONCE THE ACFT REACHED 10000 FT, CAPT MADE PA INFORMING PAX OF THE DECOMPRESSION. FLT ATTENDANTS WALKED THROUGH CABIN INFORMING PAX IT WAS SAFE TO REMOVE MASKS AND TO REASSURE THEM ALL WAS WELL. I MADE ANOTHER PA TO EXPLAIN THE BURNING ODOR CAUSED BY THE OXYGEN GENERATORS. FLT MADE AN EMER LNDG IN MIA WHERE FLT WAS MET BY PARAMEDICS AND PAX SVC (FSS). PAX WERE DIRECTED TO AN AWAITING ACFT WHICH TOOK THEM TO DEST.

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.