Narrative:

Air conditioning pack (left) tripped off. Cabin pressure could not be controled. Descent was initiated and center was advised. There were some communication problems using overhead speakers and O2 masks. The vol of the speakers was diminished each time a cockpit microphone was keyed. Contributing to communication confusion is the # of aircraft/radio configns in our fleet. A third factor in communication difficulty was the unexpected response from ATC. They were attempting to vector us around during the descent as if we were operating normally. ATC was also assigning us altitudes in the descent and although we never had to level off it further added to the confusion. We landed at gso with no further incident. I don't think that there was ever any conflict. ATC never asked for any follow-up information. Factors that would have improved situation: better standardization of cockpit confign and speaker vol output; ATC should not vector and try to control altitude of a flight that is involved in an emergency descent unless there is a serious traffic conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEFT SIDE AIR CONDITIONING PACK BLEED VALVE TRIPPED OFF. CABIN PRESSURE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED AT FL350. DESCENT WAS INITIATED. COM PROBLEMS WEARING THE O2 MASKS. CTLR GAVE LEVEL OFF ALTS WITH VECTORS.

Narrative: AIR CONDITIONING PACK (LEFT) TRIPPED OFF. CABIN PRESSURE COULD NOT BE CTLED. DSNT WAS INITIATED AND CENTER WAS ADVISED. THERE WERE SOME COM PROBS USING OVERHEAD SPEAKERS AND O2 MASKS. THE VOL OF THE SPEAKERS WAS DIMINISHED EACH TIME A COCKPIT MIC WAS KEYED. CONTRIBUTING TO COM CONFUSION IS THE # OF ACFT/RADIO CONFIGNS IN OUR FLEET. A THIRD FACTOR IN COM DIFFICULTY WAS THE UNEXPECTED RESPONSE FROM ATC. THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO VECTOR US AROUND DURING THE DSNT AS IF WE WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. ATC WAS ALSO ASSIGNING US ALTS IN THE DSNT AND ALTHOUGH WE NEVER HAD TO LEVEL OFF IT FURTHER ADDED TO THE CONFUSION. WE LANDED AT GSO WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS EVER ANY CONFLICT. ATC NEVER ASKED FOR ANY FOLLOW-UP INFO. FACTORS THAT WOULD HAVE IMPROVED SITUATION: BETTER STANDARDIZATION OF COCKPIT CONFIGN AND SPEAKER VOL OUTPUT; ATC SHOULD NOT VECTOR AND TRY TO CTL ALT OF A FLT THAT IS INVOLVED IN AN EMER DSNT UNLESS THERE IS A SERIOUS TFC CONFLICT.

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.