Narrative:

Flight from bdl to cle operating normally till climbing through FL190. Cabin pressure started climbing rapidly and cabin altitude alert horn began to beep. Cabin rate of climb showed in excess of 3500 FPM. Airplane was being pressurized in standby mode at the time because of the cracks that medium large transport might have in the skin. (Mandatory to maintain 5.67 psi or less--unable to do this in automatic pressurization mode.) I started immediate descent, and the captain took over the airplane. We put our O2 masks on. No luck with stand by mode so I tried to pressurize cabin with manual mode. Outflow valve appeared to close, but cabin continued to climb over 3500 FPM. Passenger O2 masks then dropped. Finally after playing with manual mode for at least a minute, the cabin began to pressurize. Captain descended to 10000' and I was able to get the cabin down to 3000'. Captain wanted to divert to ewr, but ewr closed due to high winds. I contacted dispatch and they requested that we divert to bos. No other problems. Corrective action: ground airplanes with over 60000 cycles and/or 20 yrs of time (for commercial use). We can't constantly fly around (for months) using a standby pressure system that is only intended to be used as a back up. I know that there are cracks in many medium large transport/large transport airplanes, but now we'll also have pressure failure from standby pressure controllers that were never intended for normal use. It is up to the FAA to stop this practice: supplemental information from acn 101563: with idle power the cabin continued to climb until passing 14000' the masks deployed. Maximum cabin altitude was approximately 16000'. System eventually operated normally at 3000' during approach to bos.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH STANDBY PRESSURIZATION CONTROL.

Narrative: FLT FROM BDL TO CLE OPERATING NORMALLY TILL CLBING THROUGH FL190. CABIN PRESSURE STARTED CLBING RAPIDLY AND CABIN ALT ALERT HORN BEGAN TO BEEP. CABIN RATE OF CLB SHOWED IN EXCESS OF 3500 FPM. AIRPLANE WAS BEING PRESSURIZED IN STANDBY MODE AT THE TIME BECAUSE OF THE CRACKS THAT MLG MIGHT HAVE IN THE SKIN. (MANDATORY TO MAINTAIN 5.67 PSI OR LESS--UNABLE TO DO THIS IN AUTO PRESSURIZATION MODE.) I STARTED IMMEDIATE DSCNT, AND THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE AIRPLANE. WE PUT OUR O2 MASKS ON. NO LUCK WITH STAND BY MODE SO I TRIED TO PRESSURIZE CABIN WITH MANUAL MODE. OUTFLOW VALVE APPEARED TO CLOSE, BUT CABIN CONTINUED TO CLB OVER 3500 FPM. PAX O2 MASKS THEN DROPPED. FINALLY AFTER PLAYING WITH MANUAL MODE FOR AT LEAST A MINUTE, THE CABIN BEGAN TO PRESSURIZE. CAPT DSNDED TO 10000' AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CABIN DOWN TO 3000'. CAPT WANTED TO DIVERT TO EWR, BUT EWR CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WINDS. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND THEY REQUESTED THAT WE DIVERT TO BOS. NO OTHER PROBS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: GND AIRPLANES WITH OVER 60000 CYCLES AND/OR 20 YRS OF TIME (FOR COMMERCIAL USE). WE CAN'T CONSTANTLY FLY AROUND (FOR MONTHS) USING A STANDBY PRESSURE SYS THAT IS ONLY INTENDED TO BE USED AS A BACK UP. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CRACKS IN MANY MLG/LGT AIRPLANES, BUT NOW WE'LL ALSO HAVE PRESSURE FAILURE FROM STANDBY PRESSURE CTLRS THAT WERE NEVER INTENDED FOR NORMAL USE. IT IS UP TO THE FAA TO STOP THIS PRACTICE: SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 101563: WITH IDLE PWR THE CABIN CONTINUED TO CLB UNTIL PASSING 14000' THE MASKS DEPLOYED. MAX CABIN ALT WAS APPROX 16000'. SYS EVENTUALLY OPERATED NORMALLY AT 3000' DURING APCH TO BOS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.