Air carrier X aircraft equipment problem pressurization emergency descent.

Attributes
ACN	208474
Time
Date	199204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tlh
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000
ASRS Report	208474
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Cabin pressure and master warming lights came on at 35000 ft. Cabin pressure was showing 10500 ft. Using communication procedures with oxygen mask on I called ZJX frequency 128.07 with 'pan, pan, pan!' this is air carrier X I have an emergency on board and would like to descend to FL250 now! Controller: 'I can't do that now.' me: 'what do you mean you can't do that. I am declaring an emergency and you can't do that now; I don't believe this!' controller: 'air carrier X you're cleared to 330.' me: 'I am up here sucking on oxygen and you want me to stop at 330?' controller: 'well you can exercise your captain's authority if you want to.' me: 'well let me put it this way fellow, this airplane is descending to 250 and you do whatever you have to.' at 25000 ft the aircraft cabin pressure continued to hold at 10000 ft. No oxygen mask deployed in the cabin. None of the passengers even knew something had gone wrong, so we just continued on to memphis. Several pilots on the same frequency jumped in the controllers mess after things settled down. If that's the kind of help we can expect from ATC, look out below.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM PRESSURIZATION EMER DSCNT.

Narrative: CABIN PRESSURE AND MASTER WARMING LIGHTS CAME ON AT 35000 FT. CABIN PRESSURE WAS SHOWING 10500 FT. USING COM PROCS WITH OXYGEN MASK ON I CALLED ZJX FREQ 128.07 WITH 'PAN, PAN, PAN!' THIS IS ACR X I HAVE AN EMER ON BOARD AND WOULD LIKE TO DSND TO FL250 NOW! CTLR: 'I CAN'T DO THAT NOW.' ME: 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T DO THAT. I AM DECLARING AN EMER AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT NOW; I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!' CTLR: 'ACR X YOU'RE CLRED TO 330.' ME: 'I AM UP HERE SUCKING ON OXYGEN AND YOU WANT ME TO STOP AT 330?' CTLR: 'WELL YOU CAN EXERCISE YOUR CAPT'S AUTHORITY IF YOU WANT TO.' ME: 'WELL LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY FELLOW, THIS AIRPLANE IS DSNDING TO 250 AND YOU DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO.' AT 25000 FT THE ACFT CABIN PRESSURE CONTINUED TO HOLD AT 10000 FT. NO OXYGEN MASK DEPLOYED IN THE CABIN. NONE OF THE PAXS EVEN KNEW SOMETHING HAD GONE WRONG, SO WE JUST CONTINUED ON TO MEMPHIS. SEVERAL PLTS ON THE SAME FREQ JUMPED IN THE CTLRS MESS AFTER THINGS SETTLED DOWN. IF THAT'S THE KIND OF HELP WE CAN EXPECT FROM ATC, LOOK OUT BELOW.

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.