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A B737-300 crew, climbing through FL300, experienced a rapid decompression, and initiated an emergency descent and a return to mci.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 564301 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200211 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : mci.vortac |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc.artcc tower : oak.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9500 |
| ASRS Report | 564301 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2700 |
| ASRS Report | 564302 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : auto fail light cabin alt other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Takeoff and initial climb normal. While climbing through FL300, automatic fail light illuminated and pressurization system automatically switched to standby operation. Cabin altitude was climbing through 9000-10000 ft. Manual operation attempted per rapid depressurization checklist and outflow valve check full closed. Cabin altitude still not stabilized. Emergency descent accomplished per checklist to 11000 ft MSL. Cabin altitude continued to climb and passenger oxygen masks dropped. Flight attendants and passenger donned masks. Cabin altitude did not stabilize until aircraft level at 11000 ft MSL. Dispatch contacted and returned to kansas city uneventful. Postflt inspection discovered aft cargo door seal had blown out.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 CREW, CLBING THROUGH FL300, EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION, AND INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT AND A RETURN TO MCI.
Narrative: TKOF AND INITIAL CLB NORMAL. WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL300, AUTO FAIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND PRESSURIZATION SYS AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHED TO STANDBY OP. CABIN ALT WAS CLBING THROUGH 9000-10000 FT. MANUAL OP ATTEMPTED PER RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION CHKLIST AND OUTFLOW VALVE CHK FULL CLOSED. CABIN ALT STILL NOT STABILIZED. EMER DSCNT ACCOMPLISHED PER CHKLIST TO 11000 FT MSL. CABIN ALT CONTINUED TO CLB AND PAX OXYGEN MASKS DROPPED. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX DONNED MASKS. CABIN ALT DID NOT STABILIZE UNTIL ACFT LEVEL AT 11000 FT MSL. DISPATCH CONTACTED AND RETURNED TO KANSAS CITY UNEVENTFUL. POSTFLT INSPECTION DISCOVERED AFT CARGO DOOR SEAL HAD BLOWN OUT.
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.