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Widebody flight crew reports pressurization anomalies at FL400 along with noise and vibration from unknown sources. The captain initiates a descent without advising ATC and without turning off the airway. ATC is eventually advised and an emergency is declared. The pressurization system stabilizes at FL360 and flight continues to destination.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1125545 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201310 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Widebody Transport |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Pressurization System |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying First Officer |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | First Officer Pilot Not Flying |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types |
Narrative:
Many failures at once led to confusion. Most concerning was cabin altitude climbing at 400 FPM. Cabin alt passed through 7000 feet and the capt initiated an emergency descent without departing airway. I articulated we needed to get off the airway to descend. Captain responded by pointing at the TCAS and stating there is no one below us. Reaching FL390 TCAS traffic began showing up on TCAS. When we leveled at FL360 [an aircraft] was 1;000 below us. There was an attempt somewhere in the descent to comply with my repeated statements to depart the airway. [ATC] was informed and an emergency was declared.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Widebody flight crew reports pressurization anomalies at FL400 along with noise and vibration from unknown sources. The Captain initiates a descent without advising ATC and without turning off the airway. ATC is eventually advised and an emergency is declared. The pressurization system stabilizes at FL360 and flight continues to destination.
Narrative: Many failures at once led to confusion. Most concerning was cabin altitude climbing at 400 FPM. Cabin alt passed through 7000 feet and the Capt initiated an emergency descent without departing airway. I articulated we needed to get off the airway to descend. Captain responded by pointing at the TCAS and stating there is no one below us. Reaching FL390 TCAS traffic began showing up on TCAS. When we leveled at FL360 [an aircraft] was 1;000 below us. There was an attempt somewhere in the descent to comply with my repeated statements to depart the airway. [ATC] was informed and an emergency was declared.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.