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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An air carrier rj-70 had to make an emergency descent.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 263820 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199402 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jfk |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 26000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny tower : orf |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | British Aerospace Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zny |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 263820 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 263459 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were just leveling off at FL260 and one of our packs came off line. The PNF (captain) went to the appropriate checklist. The second pack came off line. The cabin pressure started to climb. The PNF requested a descent to 12000 ft. ATC gave us the altitude requested. We descended and decided to go back to point of departure (jfk). No deviation from any FARS were required, and no injuries were obtained. Supplemental information from acn 263459: during the course of the descent the crew and passenger were breathing supplemental oxygen. The flight had been cleared back to jfk and a normal landing accomplished. Pressure loss can be attributed to the crew. I was responsible for a cockpit flow after takeoff which redistributes cabin air from the APU to the engines. This was not accomplished. The APU was sufficient to pressurize the cabin throughout the climb. However, at 26000 ft the APU could no longer sustain sufficient air supply and pack #1 came off line. Once level at 10000 ft, I discovered the engine air switches off. Once these switches were turned on, the pressurization system was again normal. Human factors: complacency, in that I missed the after takeoff flow and check of air supply. Vigilance. British aerospace rj-70 is new to our company and slightly different from its predecessor, the bae-146. My former after takeoff flow always included the air supply system switches. Rj-70 flow only calls for air supply switch changes when taking off with engine ice protection on as was the case with this particular takeoff.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR RJ-70 HAD TO MAKE AN EMER DSCNT.
Narrative: WE WERE JUST LEVELING OFF AT FL260 AND ONE OF OUR PACKS CAME OFF LINE. THE PNF (CAPT) WENT TO THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST. THE SECOND PACK CAME OFF LINE. THE CABIN PRESSURE STARTED TO CLB. THE PNF REQUESTED A DSCNT TO 12000 FT. ATC GAVE US THE ALT REQUESTED. WE DSNDED AND DECIDED TO GO BACK TO POINT OF DEP (JFK). NO DEV FROM ANY FARS WERE REQUIRED, AND NO INJURIES WERE OBTAINED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 263459: DURING THE COURSE OF THE DSCNT THE CREW AND PAX WERE BREATHING SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN. THE FLT HAD BEEN CLRED BACK TO JFK AND A NORMAL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED. PRESSURE LOSS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE CREW. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A COCKPIT FLOW AFTER TKOF WHICH REDISTRIBUTES CABIN AIR FROM THE APU TO THE ENGS. THIS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. THE APU WAS SUFFICIENT TO PRESSURIZE THE CABIN THROUGHOUT THE CLB. HOWEVER, AT 26000 FT THE APU COULD NO LONGER SUSTAIN SUFFICIENT AIR SUPPLY AND PACK #1 CAME OFF LINE. ONCE LEVEL AT 10000 FT, I DISCOVERED THE ENG AIR SWITCHES OFF. ONCE THESE SWITCHES WERE TURNED ON, THE PRESSURIZATION SYS WAS AGAIN NORMAL. HUMAN FACTORS: COMPLACENCY, IN THAT I MISSED THE AFTER TKOF FLOW AND CHK OF AIR SUPPLY. VIGILANCE. BRITISH AEROSPACE RJ-70 IS NEW TO OUR COMPANY AND SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM ITS PREDECESSOR, THE BAE-146. MY FORMER AFTER TKOF FLOW ALWAYS INCLUDED THE AIR SUPPLY SYS SWITCHES. RJ-70 FLOW ONLY CALLS FOR AIR SUPPLY SWITCH CHANGES WHEN TAKING OFF WITH ENG ICE PROTECTION ON AS WAS THE CASE WITH THIS PARTICULAR TKOF.
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.