Narrative:

Noted on climb out that pressure rate was abnormally high. We leveled at 6000 ft to investigate. About that time the flight attendant advised us about the passenger at seat 12A complaining of loud noise from the window. We moved the passenger from this row and attempted to control the pressure. This was particularly successful but we decided it was not ctlable enough for high altitude flight. We then diverted to albany, ny. During the time we were assessing the situation, we had climbed to 9000 ft per ATC request. After landing in albany we found that the overwing exit hatch as latched and flush. Yet the pins at the bottom of the hatch were not in the detents. This created gap between the bottom seal and the exit frame. The window exit was removed, inspected and reinstalled by a mechanic. We then continued to our destination without incident. Corrective action suggestions: redesign of exit hatch to make it impossible to close latch (flush) unless hatch is properly seated and positioned. Install cockpit annunciator lights for overwing hatches similar to those for exit doors and cargo doors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR LEAK AROUND AN EXIT WINDOW AFFECTED ACFT PRESSURIZATION AND CREATED NOISE. FLC ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: NOTED ON CLBOUT THAT PRESSURE RATE WAS ABNORMALLY HIGH. WE LEVELED AT 6000 FT TO INVESTIGATE. ABOUT THAT TIME THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US ABOUT THE PASSENGER AT SEAT 12A COMPLAINING OF LOUD NOISE FROM THE WINDOW. WE MOVED THE PASSENGER FROM THIS ROW AND ATTEMPTED TO CTL THE PRESSURE. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL BUT WE DECIDED IT WAS NOT CTLABLE ENOUGH FOR HIGH ALT FLT. WE THEN DIVERTED TO ALBANY, NY. DURING THE TIME WE WERE ASSESSING THE SITUATION, WE HAD CLBED TO 9000 FT PER ATC REQUEST. AFTER LNDG IN ALBANY WE FOUND THAT THE OVERWING EXIT HATCH AS LATCHED AND FLUSH. YET THE PINS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HATCH WERE NOT IN THE DETENTS. THIS CREATED GAP BTWN THE BOTTOM SEAL AND THE EXIT FRAME. THE WINDOW EXIT WAS REMOVED, INSPECTED AND REINSTALLED BY A MECH. WE THEN CONTINUED TO OUR DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. CORRECTIVE ACTION SUGGESTIONS: REDESIGN OF EXIT HATCH TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLOSE LATCH (FLUSH) UNLESS HATCH IS PROPERLY SEATED AND POSITIONED. INSTALL COCKPIT ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS FOR OVERWING HATCHES SIMILAR TO THOSE FOR EXIT DOORS AND CARGO DOORS.

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.