Narrative:

While en route from jfk, 80 mi south of jfk at FL290, our aircraft experienced a cabin pressure loss. We lost system #2 cabin pressure and performed the ECAM action for this item. As this was occurring, we also got a cabin altitude warning with the horn sounding. This was immediately followed by a loss of system #1 cabin pressure. The first officer finished the ECAM action items and now went to manual pressurization and followed his red book procedure. The aircraft continued to lose cabin pressure at a rate of 200-300 FPM, even with both outflow valves full closed. I was flying the aircraft and told the first officer to declare an emergency, that we would be descending down to 13500 ft. I turned 90 degrees off course and continued descending, now turning back to direct jfk. We were out of radio range with ATC, so I had the first officer state our intentions as well as our emergency status over our ocean frequency. We never encountered any TCASII alert of any kind during our entire flight. We had another aircraft also relay our intentions to ATC as well. As we headed north towards jfk, we finally got in contact with ATC and we told him that we were an emergency aircraft at 13500 ft. I believe he stated that he would have us in radar contact shortly and asked if we needed any assistance. During this very busy time with the divert -- normal/emergency checklists -- talking with dispatch, etc, neither the first officer nor myself ever remember receiving a specific ATC altitude clearance until we were in radar range. At that time, we needed to burn fuel off for our overweight landing condition and he cleared us down to a lower altitude, direct to jfk. We do remember the HF SELCAL going off at some point during our return back to jfk, but we were already in contact with nyc. To the best of my knowledge, I do not recall receiving an ATC clearance to maintain 14000 ft. Things were very busy at this point. We landed uneventfully at jfk, never hearing anything about an altitude deviation situation from any controller. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of both pressurization system malfunctions is unknown as maintenance has released no information to the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 300 AT FL290 LOST #2 CABIN PRESSURE SYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF #1 SYS. DECLARED EMER AND DSNDED TO 13500 FT.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM JFK, 80 MI S OF JFK AT FL290, OUR ACFT EXPERIENCED A CABIN PRESSURE LOSS. WE LOST SYS #2 CABIN PRESSURE AND PERFORMED THE ECAM ACTION FOR THIS ITEM. AS THIS WAS OCCURRING, WE ALSO GOT A CABIN ALT WARNING WITH THE HORN SOUNDING. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF SYS #1 CABIN PRESSURE. THE FO FINISHED THE ECAM ACTION ITEMS AND NOW WENT TO MANUAL PRESSURIZATION AND FOLLOWED HIS RED BOOK PROC. THE ACFT CONTINUED TO LOSE CABIN PRESSURE AT A RATE OF 200-300 FPM, EVEN WITH BOTH OUTFLOW VALVES FULL CLOSED. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND TOLD THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER, THAT WE WOULD BE DSNDING DOWN TO 13500 FT. I TURNED 90 DEGS OFF COURSE AND CONTINUED DSNDING, NOW TURNING BACK TO DIRECT JFK. WE WERE OUT OF RADIO RANGE WITH ATC, SO I HAD THE FO STATE OUR INTENTIONS AS WELL AS OUR EMER STATUS OVER OUR OCEAN FREQ. WE NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANY TCASII ALERT OF ANY KIND DURING OUR ENTIRE FLT. WE HAD ANOTHER ACFT ALSO RELAY OUR INTENTIONS TO ATC AS WELL. AS WE HEADED N TOWARDS JFK, WE FINALLY GOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC AND WE TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE AN EMER ACFT AT 13500 FT. I BELIEVE HE STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE US IN RADAR CONTACT SHORTLY AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED ANY ASSISTANCE. DURING THIS VERY BUSY TIME WITH THE DIVERT -- NORMAL/EMER CHKLISTS -- TALKING WITH DISPATCH, ETC, NEITHER THE FO NOR MYSELF EVER REMEMBER RECEIVING A SPECIFIC ATC ALT CLRNC UNTIL WE WERE IN RADAR RANGE. AT THAT TIME, WE NEEDED TO BURN FUEL OFF FOR OUR OVERWT LNDG CONDITION AND HE CLRED US DOWN TO A LOWER ALT, DIRECT TO JFK. WE DO REMEMBER THE HF SELCAL GOING OFF AT SOME POINT DURING OUR RETURN BACK TO JFK, BUT WE WERE ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH NYC. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I DO NOT RECALL RECEIVING AN ATC CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT. THINGS WERE VERY BUSY AT THIS POINT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT JFK, NEVER HEARING ANYTHING ABOUT AN ALTDEV SIT FROM ANY CTLR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF BOTH PRESSURIZATION SYS MALFUNCTIONS IS UNKNOWN AS MAINT HAS RELEASED NO INFO TO THE RPTR.

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.