Narrative:

We had a rapid depressurization at FL350. We all immediately donned our oxygen masks. I turned the aircraft 90 degrees to the airway toward the northwest and simultaneously initiated an emergency descent. During the descent I instructed my first officer to contact arinc and advise them that we had lost our cabin pressure, had turned 90 degrees to the airway to the north, and were making an emergency descent to 14000 ft. In the urgency of the moment, I neglected to tell him to verbally declare an emergency. One of the first officer's duties during an emergency descent is to set 7700 in the transponder, which he did. Later on in the flight, at FL140, arinc asked if we were declaring an emergency. I summarized our current situation with the crew: we had plenty of fuel, plenty of crew oxygen, no control problems with the aircraft, the fuselage appeared to be intact (the flight attendants had reported no visual damage to the cabin fuselage), the navigation was good, the passengers were comfortable and ok (the flight attendants had now reported), and the WX at our destination airport was good. I therefore decided, with the crew's concurrence, that our present circumstances did not necessitate declaring an emergency at that time. I will add that it was vague to me why ATC would be asking if we were declaring an emergency at that time, when we had already deviated from our assigned altitude and course because of a rapid depressurization. I concluded that they were inquiring as to our immediate circumstance. I decided against trying to clear this up with ATC because of the lack of comprehension of our transmissions by arinc. On one occasion my first officer had to repeat 'we suspect a pressurization duct' several times. After several 'say again's' and 'say again -- pressurization what's?' by arinc, another aircraft's pilot butted in sternly with 'this is ----, relaying for 'our aircraft', they suspect a pressurization duct.' we subsequently proceeded to our destination and landed uneventfully. We blocked in with in excess of one hour of fuel remaining, and no reported injuries to any passenger or crew member. All normal, abnormal, and emergency checklists and procedures had been complied with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR WDB ACFT MADE AN EMER DSCNT AFTER LOSING ACFT PRESSURIZATION.

Narrative: WE HAD A RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION AT FL350. WE ALL IMMEDIATELY DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS. I TURNED THE ACFT 90 DEGS TO THE AIRWAY TOWARD THE NW AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT. DURING THE DSCNT I INSTRUCTED MY FO TO CONTACT ARINC AND ADVISE THEM THAT WE HAD LOST OUR CABIN PRESSURE, HAD TURNED 90 DEGS TO THE AIRWAY TO THE N, AND WERE MAKING AN EMER DSCNT TO 14000 FT. IN THE URGENCY OF THE MOMENT, I NEGLECTED TO TELL HIM TO VERBALLY DECLARE AN EMER. ONE OF THE FO'S DUTIES DURING AN EMER DSCNT IS TO SET 7700 IN THE TRANSPONDER, WHICH HE DID. LATER ON IN THE FLT, AT FL140, ARINC ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. I SUMMARIZED OUR CURRENT SITUATION WITH THE CREW: WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL, PLENTY OF CREW OXYGEN, NO CTL PROBLEMS WITH THE ACFT, THE FUSELAGE APPEARED TO BE INTACT (THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD RPTED NO VISUAL DAMAGE TO THE CABIN FUSELAGE), THE NAV WAS GOOD, THE PAXS WERE COMFORTABLE AND OK (THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOW RPTED), AND THE WX AT OUR DEST ARPT WAS GOOD. I THEREFORE DECIDED, WITH THE CREW'S CONCURRENCE, THAT OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES DID NOT NECESSITATE DECLARING AN EMER AT THAT TIME. I WILL ADD THAT IT WAS VAGUE TO ME WHY ATC WOULD BE ASKING IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AT THAT TIME, WHEN WE HAD ALREADY DEVIATED FROM OUR ASSIGNED ALT AND COURSE BECAUSE OF A RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION. I CONCLUDED THAT THEY WERE INQUIRING AS TO OUR IMMEDIATE CIRCUMSTANCE. I DECIDED AGAINST TRYING TO CLR THIS UP WITH ATC BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF COMPREHENSION OF OUR TRANSMISSIONS BY ARINC. ON ONE OCCASION MY FO HAD TO REPEAT 'WE SUSPECT A PRESSURIZATION DUCT' SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER SEVERAL 'SAY AGAIN'S' AND 'SAY AGAIN -- PRESSURIZATION WHAT'S?' BY ARINC, ANOTHER ACFT'S PLT BUTTED IN STERNLY WITH 'THIS IS ----, RELAYING FOR 'OUR ACFT', THEY SUSPECT A PRESSURIZATION DUCT.' WE SUBSEQUENTLY PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE BLOCKED IN WITH IN EXCESS OF ONE HR OF FUEL REMAINING, AND NO RPTED INJURIES TO ANY PAX OR CREW MEMBER. ALL NORMAL, ABNORMAL, AND EMER CHKLISTS AND PROCS HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH.

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.