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Captain noted cabin pressurization warning light and started descent before first officer could obtain clearance from center.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 183845 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199107 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : omn |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 23500 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma artcc : zdv |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 1550 |
| ASRS Report | 183845 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While cruising at FL240, we had a cabin pressure warning light illuminate indicating a cabin pressure exceeding 10000 ft. The captain was flying this leg and upon noticing the warning light, he immediately told me we had to go to a lower altitude and he started descending before we got approval from ATC. I was handling radios so I requested and received clearance to descend. As I was in the process of obtaining descent clearance the captain had already started descending going through 23500 before I had the approval of ATC. This was an altitude deviation because we never declared an emergency nor did we have clearance to descend yet. This was a simple case of a captain getting a little too excited and overreacting to a minor problem and not thinking before he acted. Had he only waited about 15 or 20 seconds before he started descending we would have had the proper clearance. Some people just can't be calm though, and it's a scary thought when pilots behave like this.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT NOTED CABIN PRESSURIZATION WARNING LIGHT AND STARTED DSNT BEFORE FO COULD OBTAIN CLRNC FROM CENTER.
Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL240, WE HAD A CABIN PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE INDICATING A CABIN PRESSURE EXCEEDING 10000 FT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THIS LEG AND UPON NOTICING THE WARNING LIGHT, HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME WE HAD TO GO TO A LOWER ALT AND HE STARTED DSNDING BEFORE WE GOT APPROVAL FROM ATC. I WAS HANDLING RADIOS SO I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND. AS I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING DSCNT CLRNC THE CAPT HAD ALREADY STARTED DSNDING GOING THROUGH 23500 BEFORE I HAD THE APPROVAL OF ATC. THIS WAS AN ALT DEV BECAUSE WE NEVER DECLARED AN EMER NOR DID WE HAVE CLRNC TO DSND YET. THIS WAS A SIMPLE CASE OF A CAPT GETTING A LITTLE TOO EXCITED AND OVERREACTING TO A MINOR PROBLEM AND NOT THINKING BEFORE HE ACTED. HAD HE ONLY WAITED ABOUT 15 OR 20 SECONDS BEFORE HE STARTED DSNDING WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE PROPER CLRNC. SOME PEOPLE JUST CAN'T BE CALM THOUGH, AND IT'S A SCARY THOUGHT WHEN PLTS BEHAVE LIKE THIS.
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.