Medium large transport has cabin altitude light illuminate at cruise. Emergency descent.

Attributes
ACN	275215
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	275215
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

150 west of elp at FL330 the red cabin altitude light illuminated with the cabin reading accomplished and an emergency descent was made into elp. Approach and landing were uneventful. All passenger and flight attendants were flown on next elp-dfw flight to complete their trip. After maintenance verified primary pressurization controller was inoperative, cockpit crew ferried the aircraft to dfw.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG HAS CABIN ALT LIGHT ILLUMINATE AT CRUISE. EMER DSCNT.

Narrative: 150 W OF ELP AT FL330 THE RED CABIN ALT LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH THE CABIN READING ACCOMPLISHED AND AN EMER DSCNT WAS MADE INTO ELP. APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. ALL PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE FLOWN ON NEXT ELP-DFW FLT TO COMPLETE THEIR TRIP. AFTER MAINT VERIFIED PRIMARY PRESSURIZATION CTLR WAS INOP, COCKPIT CREW FERRIED THE ACFT TO DFW.

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.