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Flight crew of B737-300 depart with 1 air conditioning pack inoperative and are unable to maintain cabin pressure on the remaining pack. Declare emergency and land overweight at a diversion airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 609590 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zjx.artcc |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice Turbulence Thunderstorm Rain |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 609590 |
| 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 : cabin alt warning horn other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Our flight was dispatched with the #2 air conditioning pack inoperative. The flight was dispatched by an extended route to avoid WX and at a lower altitude due to the inoperative pack. A normal takeoff was made and the pressurization system checked at the completion of the after takeoff checklist. The system appeared normal. About 5-10 mins after level off (FL240) the altitude warning horn sounded. Cabin altitude had increased to 10000 ft very slowly without the crew noticing. The qrc was completed and, with the cabin altitude continuing to increase, I declared an emergency. The descent and landing at jax were without incident. Due to severe WX in the area, I elected to land overweight by 2000 pounds. The touchdown was very smooth and, again, without incident. Recommendations: a bulletin should be published advising that cabin pressure be monitored during climb, cruise and descent more closely when dispatched with an inoperative pack because some of our older aircraft may have leaks that could be masked by the normal 2 pack confign.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF B737-300 DEPART WITH 1 AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP AND ARE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CABIN PRESSURE ON THE REMAINING PACK. DECLARE EMER AND LAND OVERWT AT A DIVERSION ARPT.
Narrative: OUR FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE #2 AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP. THE FLT WAS DISPATCHED BY AN EXTENDED RTE TO AVOID WX AND AT A LOWER ALT DUE TO THE INOP PACK. A NORMAL TKOF WAS MADE AND THE PRESSURIZATION SYS CHKED AT THE COMPLETION OF THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. THE SYS APPEARED NORMAL. ABOUT 5-10 MINS AFTER LEVEL OFF (FL240) THE ALT WARNING HORN SOUNDED. CABIN ALT HAD INCREASED TO 10000 FT VERY SLOWLY WITHOUT THE CREW NOTICING. THE QRC WAS COMPLETED AND, WITH THE CABIN ALT CONTINUING TO INCREASE, I DECLARED AN EMER. THE DSCNT AND LNDG AT JAX WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. DUE TO SEVERE WX IN THE AREA, I ELECTED TO LAND OVERWT BY 2000 LBS. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS VERY SMOOTH AND, AGAIN, WITHOUT INCIDENT. RECOMMENDATIONS: A BULLETIN SHOULD BE PUBLISHED ADVISING THAT CABIN PRESSURE BE MONITORED DURING CLB, CRUISE AND DSCNT MORE CLOSELY WHEN DISPATCHED WITH AN INOP PACK BECAUSE SOME OF OUR OLDER ACFT MAY HAVE LEAKS THAT COULD BE MASKED BY THE NORMAL 2 PACK CONFIGN.
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.