Narrative:

Shortly after leveling at cruise altitude of FL330, a pneumatic trip occurred that caused the cabin to start climbing at over 500 FPM. The so was still unable to control it as the cabin altitude passed 7000 ft. An emergency was declared and an emergency descent begun. After extending the spdbrake and lowering the nose, a moderate vibration was felt. The aircraft was slowed to 260 KTS and spdbrakes retracted to 50% and the vibration became acceptable. At FL240 (passing), the so regained control of the cabin. The descent was stopped at FL240. It was determined that a nuisance trip has occurred in the pneumatic system which was reset. We climbed back to FL290 and continued to bos. Shortly before descent, a passenger relayed to the cockpit crew, that they had observed something wrong with the inboard right spoiler during our emergency descent. This, together with the unusual vibration caused us to decide to unlatch the dlc/ags switches and the L1/R1, L2/R2 spoiler switches for descent and landing in bos. Maintenance confirmed that the spoiler was damaged and that it was broken loose at one of the hinge points.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ONE ACFT PROBLEM CREATES NEED FOR EMER DSCNT, THE OTHER ACFT PROBLEM CREATES THE NEED FOR ALTERING THAT EMER DSCNT PROC AND THE RATE OF DSCNT.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT CRUISE ALT OF FL330, A PNEUMATIC TRIP OCCURRED THAT CAUSED THE CABIN TO START CLBING AT OVER 500 FPM. THE SO WAS STILL UNABLE TO CTL IT AS THE CABIN ALT PASSED 7000 FT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN EMER DSCNT BEGUN. AFTER EXTENDING THE SPDBRAKE AND LOWERING THE NOSE, A MODERATE VIBRATION WAS FELT. THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO 260 KTS AND SPDBRAKES RETRACTED TO 50% AND THE VIBRATION BECAME ACCEPTABLE. AT FL240 (PASSING), THE SO REGAINED CTL OF THE CABIN. THE DSCNT WAS STOPPED AT FL240. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A NUISANCE TRIP HAS OCCURRED IN THE PNEUMATIC SYS WHICH WAS RESET. WE CLBED BACK TO FL290 AND CONTINUED TO BOS. SHORTLY BEFORE DSCNT, A PAX RELAYED TO THE COCKPIT CREW, THAT THEY HAD OBSERVED SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE INBOARD R SPOILER DURING OUR EMER DSCNT. THIS, TOGETHER WITH THE UNUSUAL VIBRATION CAUSED US TO DECIDE TO UNLATCH THE DLC/AGS SWITCHES AND THE L1/R1, L2/R2 SPOILER SWITCHES FOR DSCNT AND LNDG IN BOS. MAINT CONFIRMED THAT THE SPOILER WAS DAMAGED AND THAT IT WAS BROKEN LOOSE AT ONE OF THE HINGE POINTS.

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.