Narrative:

The aviation industry has experienced 2 accidents/incidents recently that involved the loss of cockpit O2 from either explosion or cargo door failure. In one incident we are certain of the O2 loss; in the other, the possibility exists that it was also lost since the bomb exploded near the cargo door near the O2 supply bottles and plumbing. Fortunately for the air carrier a crew in hnl, they were at approximately 21000' and when the O2 masks were donned, it was evident that they had no flow but were low enough to stay conscious and descend to a lower altitude. It is perhaps a giant assumption, but what if the air carrier B aircraft over lockerbie was a flyable airplane with a large hole in its side which had blown out both the O2 and the electrical. How long would the crew have stayed conscious? Maybe a minute? The loss of electrical would have prevented any communication. The autoplt would have disconnected, the environment in the cockpit would have been a disaster. 1 min later, or so, all 3 crew members would have been unconscious and west/O the autoplt, the aircraft would have lost altitude, gained airspeed and started coming apart, spreading parts over a pattern similar to that which occurred in scotland. It may be farfetched but it could have happened. We are in a period of time when terrorism is using the airlines as a target and it seems like the forward cargo compartment is where the bombs end us--right near the O2 supply. What if the bomb goes off at FL370 or FL390? I guarantee that the aircraft will crash west/O O2, and what will be assumed by the investigation--a non-survivable accident. What seems to be is that we had discovered a very important aircraft system that is not redundant. Not only that, but the one bottle in the cockpit that might save the situation if someone could get to it in time--the walkaround bottle--is being removed and replaced by the pbe (protective breathing equipment). The pbe will be absolutely useless in a depressurization as it cannot be used above 15000'. Low cost alternatives to this problem have to be available. Parachutes are equipped with small O2 bottles to last during the descent. The walkaround bottle could be kept and mounted where it could be reached in an emergency. I'm sure there are other solutions. I feel the problem needs to be addressed and perhaps you can provide input to someone that might be able to follow up before we do it because it has caused a major catastrophe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN A NO SPECIFIC INCIDENT NARRATIVE, THE REPORTER CITES THE VULNERABILITY OF COCKPIT O2 TO CARGO DOOR FAILURE OR EXPLOSION, AND RECOMMENDS INSTALLATION OF SPARE O2 IN THE COCKPIT AREA.

Narrative: THE AVIATION INDUSTRY HAS EXPERIENCED 2 ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS RECENTLY THAT INVOLVED THE LOSS OF COCKPIT O2 FROM EITHER EXPLOSION OR CARGO DOOR FAILURE. IN ONE INCIDENT WE ARE CERTAIN OF THE O2 LOSS; IN THE OTHER, THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT IT WAS ALSO LOST SINCE THE BOMB EXPLODED NEAR THE CARGO DOOR NEAR THE O2 SUPPLY BOTTLES AND PLUMBING. FORTUNATELY FOR THE ACR A CREW IN HNL, THEY WERE AT APPROX 21000' AND WHEN THE O2 MASKS WERE DONNED, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THEY HAD NO FLOW BUT WERE LOW ENOUGH TO STAY CONSCIOUS AND DSND TO A LOWER ALT. IT IS PERHAPS A GIANT ASSUMPTION, BUT WHAT IF THE ACR B ACFT OVER LOCKERBIE WAS A FLYABLE AIRPLANE WITH A LARGE HOLE IN ITS SIDE WHICH HAD BLOWN OUT BOTH THE O2 AND THE ELECTRICAL. HOW LONG WOULD THE CREW HAVE STAYED CONSCIOUS? MAYBE A MINUTE? THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ANY COM. THE AUTOPLT WOULD HAVE DISCONNECTED, THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE COCKPIT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. 1 MIN LATER, OR SO, ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNCONSCIOUS AND W/O THE AUTOPLT, THE ACFT WOULD HAVE LOST ALT, GAINED AIRSPD AND STARTED COMING APART, SPREADING PARTS OVER A PATTERN SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED IN SCOTLAND. IT MAY BE FARFETCHED BUT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE ARE IN A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN TERRORISM IS USING THE AIRLINES AS A TARGET AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT IS WHERE THE BOMBS END US--RIGHT NEAR THE O2 SUPPLY. WHAT IF THE BOMB GOES OFF AT FL370 OR FL390? I GUARANTEE THAT THE ACFT WILL CRASH W/O O2, AND WHAT WILL BE ASSUMED BY THE INVESTIGATION--A NON-SURVIVABLE ACCIDENT. WHAT SEEMS TO BE IS THAT WE HAD DISCOVERED A VERY IMPORTANT ACFT SYS THAT IS NOT REDUNDANT. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE ONE BOTTLE IN THE COCKPIT THAT MIGHT SAVE THE SITUATION IF SOMEONE COULD GET TO IT IN TIME--THE WALKAROUND BOTTLE--IS BEING REMOVED AND REPLACED BY THE PBE (PROTECTIVE BREATHING EQUIP). THE PBE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY USELESS IN A DEPRESSURIZATION AS IT CANNOT BE USED ABOVE 15000'. LOW COST ALTERNATIVES TO THIS PROB HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE. PARACHUTES ARE EQUIPPED WITH SMALL O2 BOTTLES TO LAST DURING THE DSCNT. THE WALKAROUND BOTTLE COULD BE KEPT AND MOUNTED WHERE IT COULD BE REACHED IN AN EMER. I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER SOLUTIONS. I FEEL THE PROB NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND PERHAPS YOU CAN PROVIDE INPUT TO SOMEONE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP BEFORE WE DO IT BECAUSE IT HAS CAUSED A MAJOR CATASTROPHE.

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.