Air carrier large transport had to descend rapidly because of pressurization problems.

Attributes
ACN	195513
Time
Date	199111
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cou
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 10000 agl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	195513
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	195206
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On 11/fri/91, I was the captain of flight from st louis to kansas city. First officer was flying aircraft. We had just leveled at FL260. Cruise power had just been set. Cabin altitude was about 2500 ft. I noticed pressure change in my ears. I asked flight engineer if he could control cabin pressure. He said he was working on it. About 30 seconds later he said he couldn't control cabin and that we better get down to a lower altitude. I asked for descent to 10000 ft. Kansas city center cleared us to 10000 ft and asked what was the nature of our problem. I told center hat we were having cabin pressure problems. He asked if we were declaring an emergency. I told him we were not declaring an emergency. We used speed brakes to get down quickly, cabin pressure got up to about 10500 ft. Flight engineer regained control of cabin as we were descending. Cabin pressure warning horn went off but passenger oxygen masks did not drop. I used the PA to inform passenger what had happened and told them to ring call button if they had any discomfort. 1 passenger reported some discomfort because of plugged ears from cold. I elected to stay at 10000 ft because we would normally be descending to land at kansas city at that point. We wrote up the pressure problem in the logbook after we landed in kansas city.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HAD TO DSND RAPIDLY BECAUSE OF PRESSURIZATION PROBLEMS.

Narrative: ON 11/FRI/91, I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT FROM ST LOUIS TO KANSAS CITY. FO WAS FLYING ACFT. WE HAD JUST LEVELED AT FL260. CRUISE PWR HAD JUST BEEN SET. CABIN ALT WAS ABOUT 2500 FT. I NOTICED PRESSURE CHANGE IN MY EARS. I ASKED FLT ENGINEER IF HE COULD CTL CABIN PRESSURE. HE SAID HE WAS WORKING ON IT. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER HE SAID HE COULDN'T CTL CABIN AND THAT WE BETTER GET DOWN TO A LOWER ALT. I ASKED FOR DSCNT TO 10000 FT. KANSAS CITY CENTER CLRED US TO 10000 FT AND ASKED WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF OUR PROBLEM. I TOLD CENTER HAT WE WERE HAVING CABIN PRESSURE PROBLEMS. HE ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. I TOLD HIM WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER. WE USED SPD BRAKES TO GET DOWN QUICKLY, CABIN PRESSURE GOT UP TO ABOUT 10500 FT. FLT ENGINEER REGAINED CTL OF CABIN AS WE WERE DSNDING. CABIN PRESSURE WARNING HORN WENT OFF BUT PAX OXYGEN MASKS DID NOT DROP. I USED THE PA TO INFORM PAX WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TOLD THEM TO RING CALL BUTTON IF THEY HAD ANY DISCOMFORT. 1 PAX RPTED SOME DISCOMFORT BECAUSE OF PLUGGED EARS FROM COLD. I ELECTED TO STAY AT 10000 FT BECAUSE WE WOULD NORMALLY BE DSNDING TO LAND AT KANSAS CITY AT THAT POINT. WE WROTE UP THE PRESSURE PROBLEM IN THE LOGBOOK AFTER WE LANDED IN KANSAS CITY.

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.