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B737-500 flight crew declares an emergency when ATC unable to issue clearance for lower altitude after crew suffers loss of cabin pressure at FL350 on frequency with ZHU, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 617849 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200405 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zhu.artcc |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice Rain Thunderstorm Turbulence |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| 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 : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3700 |
| ASRS Report | 617849 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2800 |
| ASRS Report | 617848 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cabin alt warn horn other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Automatic pressurization failed at top of descent. No warning other than horn as cabin reached 10000 ft. Donned masks, accomplished immediate action items, declared emergency and descended below 10000 ft. Masks automatic deployed in cabin. Reassured flight attendants and passenger. Various distrs during procedure due to thunderstorms, communication problems with masks on and runway changes at last min. Landed without incident, had paramedics and customer assistance standing by. Supplemental information from acn 617848: at 35000 ft MSL the cabin altitude warning horn sounded, indicating a cabin altitude just over 10000 ft. Requested descent with ATC. Was told unable, we declared an emergency and descended to 10000 ft, followed QRH and landed without incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-500 FLT CREW DECLARES AN EMER WHEN ATC UNABLE TO ISSUE CLRNC FOR LOWER ALT AFTER CREW SUFFERS LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE AT FL350 ON FREQ WITH ZHU, TX.
Narrative: AUTO PRESSURIZATION FAILED AT TOP OF DSCNT. NO WARNING OTHER THAN HORN AS CABIN REACHED 10000 FT. DONNED MASKS, ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS, DECLARED EMER AND DSNDED BELOW 10000 FT. MASKS AUTO DEPLOYED IN CABIN. REASSURED FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. VARIOUS DISTRS DURING PROC DUE TO TSTMS, COM PROBS WITH MASKS ON AND RWY CHANGES AT LAST MIN. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, HAD PARAMEDICS AND CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE STANDING BY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 617848: AT 35000 FT MSL THE CABIN ALT WARNING HORN SOUNDED, INDICATING A CABIN ALT JUST OVER 10000 FT. REQUESTED DSCNT WITH ATC. WAS TOLD UNABLE, WE DECLARED AN EMER AND DSNDED TO 10000 FT, FOLLOWED QRH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
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.