A300-600 diverts to a nearby airport when pressurization control is lost.

Attributes
ACN	803000
Time
Date	200808
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	803000
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam alt alarm other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

In cruise at FL350 noticed ECAM with altitude alert with no chime. Information captain and pulled out the QRH to look up procedure. No other associated lights so started to clear ECAM while reading QRH. This time got an alert and noticed the cabin would not come down. The maximum psi observed was about 9780. Tried both regulators and switched to manual control with no effect unable to control the cabin pressure. Declared an emergency and started emergency descend and turned to proceed to airport about 100 NM away. Executed procedures and flew the aircraft down to with oxygen mask 14000 ft. Once under approach control cleared to 10000 ft removed mask for a visual approach to runway 14. Uneventful landing and canceled all emergency assistance on the ground. The captain went in to talk with dispatch under us custom escort to file divert paperwork. I proceeded to clean up the cockpit and performed a postflt walkaround with us custom escort as all the passenger remained on board. Noticed the ground air hook up was showing vapor coming from the door with it closed. Remembered talking with a captain from another flight which had this problem. Called to base with information discovered. Aircraft was repaired by securing the ground air door properly and the flight continued on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300-600 DIVERTS TO A NEARBY ARPT WHEN PRESSURIZATION CONTROL IS LOST.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL350 NOTICED ECAM WITH ALT ALERT WITH NO CHIME. INFO CAPT AND PULLED OUT THE QRH TO LOOK UP PROC. NO OTHER ASSOCIATED LIGHTS SO STARTED TO CLR ECAM WHILE READING QRH. THIS TIME GOT AN ALERT AND NOTICED THE CABIN WOULD NOT COME DOWN. THE MAX PSI OBSERVED WAS ABOUT 9780. TRIED BOTH REGULATORS AND SWITCHED TO MANUAL CTL WITH NO EFFECT UNABLE TO CTL THE CABIN PRESSURE. DECLARED AN EMER AND STARTED EMER DSND AND TURNED TO PROCEED TO ARPT ABOUT 100 NM AWAY. EXECUTED PROCS AND FLEW THE ACFT DOWN TO WITH OXYGEN MASK 14000 FT. ONCE UNDER APCH CTL CLRED TO 10000 FT REMOVED MASK FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 14. UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND CANCELED ALL EMER ASSISTANCE ON THE GND. THE CAPT WENT IN TO TALK WITH DISPATCH UNDER US CUSTOM ESCORT TO FILE DIVERT PAPERWORK. I PROCEEDED TO CLEAN UP THE COCKPIT AND PERFORMED A POSTFLT WALKAROUND WITH US CUSTOM ESCORT AS ALL THE PAX REMAINED ON BOARD. NOTICED THE GND AIR HOOK UP WAS SHOWING VAPOR COMING FROM THE DOOR WITH IT CLOSED. REMEMBERED TALKING WITH A CAPT FROM ANOTHER FLT WHICH HAD THIS PROB. CALLED TO BASE WITH INFO DISCOVERED. ACFT WAS REPAIRED BY SECURING THE GND AIR DOOR PROPERLY AND THE FLT CONTINUED ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.