Narrative:

In cruise at FL310, wbound on track foxtrot over the north atlantic, we had passed approximately 25 degree west headed towards our next waypoint of 47N 30W when the engineer called our attention to the crew oxygen bottle which was reading approximately 800 psi. The bottle had been changed in frankfurt due to an incoming crew writeup and had been definitely noted as full. We shut off the crew regulators to see if we could determine a leak point but approximately 15 mins later noted the supply was now down to 750 psi. A long discussion ensued as to possible options, including returning to europe, diverting, to boston ahead or continuing on to destination, atlanta. Consulting our operating manuals and MEL really gave no guidance on procedures to follow with a crew oxygen system that was leaking after dispatch. The decision was made to proceed to atlanta on the theory that we still could have an operating crew on O2 system merely by turning the bottle back on. We couldn't go down to 10,000' and make atlanta although ahead to boston or back to paris or some other european city would not have been a problem. Subsequent discussion with chief pilot leads me to believe we could be criticized for not diverting due to the requirement in far for the 'quick don' feature of the crew O2 system to be available at all times. I feel this requirement is not addressed in MEL or operating manuals and unfortunately these are the only publications we have for guidance in systems breakdowns. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: company management is not really being critical of our actions, just speculating what someone in FAA might say. We felt we had oxygen available and it only takes a second or two to turn on the bottle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON OVERWATER FLT, ATLANTIC OCEAN ROUTE FLT CREW OXYGEN BOTTLE NOTED LEAKING. CREW SHUT OFF OXYGEN BOTTLE CONTINUED TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL310, WBOUND ON TRACK FOXTROT OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC, WE HAD PASSED APPROX 25 DEG W HEADED TOWARDS OUR NEXT WAYPOINT OF 47N 30W WHEN THE ENGINEER CALLED OUR ATTN TO THE CREW OXYGEN BOTTLE WHICH WAS READING APPROX 800 PSI. THE BOTTLE HAD BEEN CHANGED IN FRANKFURT DUE TO AN INCOMING CREW WRITEUP AND HAD BEEN DEFINITELY NOTED AS FULL. WE SHUT OFF THE CREW REGULATORS TO SEE IF WE COULD DETERMINE A LEAK POINT BUT APPROX 15 MINS LATER NOTED THE SUPPLY WAS NOW DOWN TO 750 PSI. A LONG DISCUSSION ENSUED AS TO POSSIBLE OPTIONS, INCLUDING RETURNING TO EUROPE, DIVERTING, TO BOSTON AHEAD OR CONTINUING ON TO DEST, ATLANTA. CONSULTING OUR OPERATING MANUALS AND MEL REALLY GAVE NO GUIDANCE ON PROCS TO FOLLOW WITH A CREW OXYGEN SYSTEM THAT WAS LEAKING AFTER DISPATCH. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO PROCEED TO ATLANTA ON THE THEORY THAT WE STILL COULD HAVE AN OPERATING CREW ON O2 SYSTEM MERELY BY TURNING THE BOTTLE BACK ON. WE COULDN'T GO DOWN TO 10,000' AND MAKE ATLANTA ALTHOUGH AHEAD TO BOSTON OR BACK TO PARIS OR SOME OTHER EUROPEAN CITY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH CHIEF PLT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE WE COULD BE CRITICIZED FOR NOT DIVERTING DUE TO THE REQUIREMENT IN FAR FOR THE 'QUICK DON' FEATURE OF THE CREW O2 SYSTEM TO BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. I FEEL THIS REQUIREMENT IS NOT ADDRESSED IN MEL OR OPERATING MANUALS AND UNFORTUNATELY THESE ARE THE ONLY PUBLICATIONS WE HAVE FOR GUIDANCE IN SYSTEMS BREAKDOWNS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: COMPANY MGMNT IS NOT REALLY BEING CRITICAL OF OUR ACTIONS, JUST SPECULATING WHAT SOMEONE IN FAA MIGHT SAY. WE FELT WE HAD OXYGEN AVAILABLE AND IT ONLY TAKES A SECOND OR TWO TO TURN ON THE BOTTLE.

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.