Narrative:

I was hand flying during climb to FL370 with automatic throttles on. At about FL350 we all heard a loud 'whump' and felt the airplane shudder. A quick glance at the engine instruments revealed nothing abnormal. I then turned to see that the so's annunciator panel was also normal. Just as I asked if anyone knew what the noise was, I felt the pressure change and heard the cabin altitude alert horn. I said 'we're losing pressurization' and reached for my oxygen mask. As I donned it I told the first officer to declare an emergency and get a lower altitude. I disconnected the automatic throttles and closed the throttles, simultaneously pushing the nose over. I cautiously extended the speed brake, and when no change was felt in control response, I accelerated to the barber pole. All the immediate action items had been accomplished, but nothing the so did had the slightest effect on pressurization. When asked of our intentions by ATC, we advised them of our intent to land in las vegas, and to have the equipment standing by. I leveled at 11000 and ordered masks removed to better communication. After reporting the airport in sight we accepted a visual to runway 1. The wind was northwest, and I did not want to delay landing. I discussed time remaining with the flight attendants. I advised no evacuate/evacuation unless something obvious occurred -- fire, collapsed gear, etc. I made a normal approach and landing. I asked the emergency crew to check gear, then we taxied to the gate where all passengers deplaned via jetway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Loss of pressurization the result of a bulkhead failing near the hatch to the accessory compartment. Cabin altitude at the time of the failure was about 5400 ft. Estimated time for the cabin to reach aircraft altitude 35000 ft was less then 6 seconds. All passenger masks deployed, some cabin attendant station masks did not. As a result of the oxygen generators heat, one oxygen hose was burned through and the small fire was extinguished by the cabin attendant with a portable fire bottle. No injuries to any passenger. Is concerned by the lack of far direction in the post flight examination of the passenger and crew to determine if any traumatic effect resulted from the incident. Supplemental information from acn 193200. Incidental difficulties were communicating, with pressure breathing, and loss of a crew member ear piece while donning oxygen mask, but visual and hand signals were quite adequate. An observer (qualified widebody transport so) was utilized to inspect the cabin. More information on physiological considerations on continuing working on later flts in one's schedule should be available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION. DIVERT TO LAS.

Narrative: I WAS HAND FLYING DURING CLB TO FL370 WITH AUTO THROTTLES ON. AT ABOUT FL350 WE ALL HEARD A LOUD 'WHUMP' AND FELT THE AIRPLANE SHUDDER. A QUICK GLANCE AT THE ENG INSTS REVEALED NOTHING ABNORMAL. I THEN TURNED TO SEE THAT THE SO'S ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WAS ALSO NORMAL. JUST AS I ASKED IF ANYONE KNEW WHAT THE NOISE WAS, I FELT THE PRESSURE CHANGE AND HEARD THE CABIN ALT ALERT HORN. I SAID 'WE'RE LOSING PRESSURIZATION' AND REACHED FOR MY OXYGEN MASK. AS I DONNED IT I TOLD THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER AND GET A LOWER ALT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTO THROTTLES AND CLOSED THE THROTTLES, SIMULTANEOUSLY PUSHING THE NOSE OVER. I CAUTIOUSLY EXTENDED THE SPD BRAKE, AND WHEN NO CHANGE WAS FELT IN CTL RESPONSE, I ACCELERATED TO THE BARBER POLE. ALL THE IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, BUT NOTHING THE SO DID HAD THE SLIGHTEST EFFECT ON PRESSURIZATION. WHEN ASKED OF OUR INTENTIONS BY ATC, WE ADVISED THEM OF OUR INTENT TO LAND IN LAS VEGAS, AND TO HAVE THE EQUIP STANDING BY. I LEVELED AT 11000 AND ORDERED MASKS REMOVED TO BETTER COM. AFTER RPTING THE ARPT IN SIGHT WE ACCEPTED A VISUAL TO RWY 1. THE WIND WAS NW, AND I DID NOT WANT TO DELAY LNDG. I DISCUSSED TIME REMAINING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I ADVISED NO EVAC UNLESS SOMETHING OBVIOUS OCCURRED -- FIRE, COLLAPSED GEAR, ETC. I MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. I ASKED THE EMER CREW TO CHK GEAR, THEN WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE ALL PAXS DEPLANED VIA JETWAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION THE RESULT OF A BULKHEAD FAILING NEAR THE HATCH TO THE ACCESSORY COMPARTMENT. CABIN ALT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WAS ABOUT 5400 FT. ESTIMATED TIME FOR THE CABIN TO REACH ACFT ALT 35000 FT WAS LESS THEN 6 SECONDS. ALL PAX MASKS DEPLOYED, SOME CABIN ATTENDANT STATION MASKS DID NOT. AS A RESULT OF THE OXYGEN GENERATORS HEAT, ONE OXYGEN HOSE WAS BURNED THROUGH AND THE SMALL FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE CABIN ATTENDANT WITH A PORTABLE FIRE BOTTLE. NO INJURIES TO ANY PAX. IS CONCERNED BY THE LACK OF FAR DIRECTION IN THE POST FLT EXAMINATION OF THE PAX AND CREW TO DETERMINE IF ANY TRAUMATIC EFFECT RESULTED FROM THE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 193200. INCIDENTAL DIFFICULTIES WERE COMMUNICATING, WITH PRESSURE BREATHING, AND LOSS OF A CREW MEMBER EAR PIECE WHILE DONNING OXYGEN MASK, BUT VISUAL AND HAND SIGNALS WERE QUITE ADEQUATE. AN OBSERVER (QUALIFIED WDB SO) WAS UTILIZED TO INSPECT THE CABIN. MORE INFO ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON CONTINUING WORKING ON LATER FLTS IN ONE'S SCHEDULE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE.

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.