<< >> NASA ASRS Report 607281, February 2004

An MD80 at FL270 holding in light icing declared an emergency and diverted due to unable to maintain cabin pressure.

Attributes
ACN	607281
Time
Date	200402
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : holding descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	607281
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : press flow ann warning light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Weather
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We were holding in light icing conditions at FL270 and the pressure flow annunciator light came on intermittently. We were able to power up and put the light out and keep the cabin steady at 5000 ft. After several cycles of this same event, the cabin was beginning to slowly climb, so we completed the QRH procedure, but were unable to control the cabin. The emergency was declared and we descended for landing in ZZZ. In the descent, the cabin was climbing rapidly and peaked as we passed 10000 ft also. After landing, the packs came back on line and operated normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the information on the cause of the loss of cabin pressure was a secondhand source and may be inaccurate but it was cooling air inlets being iced up limiting the air flow through the packs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 AT FL270 HOLDING IN LIGHT ICING DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CABIN PRESSURE.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING IN LIGHT ICING CONDITIONS AT FL270 AND THE PRESSURE FLOW ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. WE WERE ABLE TO PWR UP AND PUT THE LIGHT OUT AND KEEP THE CABIN STEADY AT 5000 FT. AFTER SEVERAL CYCLES OF THIS SAME EVENT, THE CABIN WAS BEGINNING TO SLOWLY CLB, SO WE COMPLETED THE QRH PROC, BUT WERE UNABLE TO CTL THE CABIN. THE EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE DSNDED FOR LNDG IN ZZZ. IN THE DSCNT, THE CABIN WAS CLBING RAPIDLY AND PEAKED AS WE PASSED 10000 FT ALSO. AFTER LNDG, THE PACKS CAME BACK ON LINE AND OPERATED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE INFO ON THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE WAS A SECONDHAND SOURCE AND MAY BE INACCURATE BUT IT WAS COOLING AIR INLETS BEING ICED UP LIMITING THE AIR FLOW THROUGH THE PACKS.

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.