Narrative:

We had climbed to FL330 hoping to get above clouds for a good ride as we paralleled a line of thunderstorms that were to the west. We didn't like the ride at FL330 and asked for lower and were given FL290 first. The captain (a junior reserve captain) reached up to lower the cabin and noticed it was climbing at 500 FPM. Both packs appeared normal, the automatic pressurization system had the outflow valve fully closed, and no unusual noises or lights appeared in the cockpit or cabin. As the cabin slowly passed 9000 ft, I suggested that we better start down and try to stop the climbing cabin. ATC gave us some lower altitude and I started a brisk descent hoping to avert a 10000 ft cabin altitude. I tried not to pull the power back but we were soon nearing the barber pole in speed and I had to. As soon as I did, the cabin rate shot up and ATC gave us 10000 ft on the captain's report to them that we had pressurization problems and he declared an emergency. I initiated our emergency descent procedure (had earlier donned my mask at about 9500 ft cabin altitude). The captain seemed unsure as to what to do and kept saying 'shit' over and over. I handed him the emergency checklist and he looked it over but never informed me whether it was complete or not. I had to get an altimeter setting. He never really said anything specific about who was going to do what during the descent, so I stated that I had the aircraft and radios and he could make whatever PA's or company calls he needed to. The cabin never went above 12000 ft but the masks did drop. As we neared 10000 ft MSL, the cabin was back to 10000 ft, the captain made a PA about what happened. ATC was great as far as giving me vectors as I had to descend into the WX and needed deviations to avoid numerous cells. They pressed us for very little information until we had the time. The captain was unable to raise the company on company frequency because of our low altitude. He decided since there were no passenger problems and the airplane was ok, we would proceed to our destination at 10000 ft. He got very frustrated with the radio problem and spent a long time typing on the ACARS, which did have communication. He missed several requests for information from the company and had to retype new messages. After things had settled down, we reviewed all manuals for appropriate procedures. Since I had not heard most of his PA's, I made several cockpit resource management suggestions as far as making sure he had told the passenger everything was ok, what had happened, and what we were going to do. He made no additional announcements and I was surprised that he ignored my suggestions. He felt he had done what was required. We made an uneventful landing at destination. Most passenger were quiet as they left but one, who said he had been through several emergencys, said that we did not do a good job. He seemed professional in his manner but left before I could find out many specifics and he did not talk to the captain as I suggested. Needless to say, I have been stewing on his comments ever since. I feel badly that he did not obviously hear what he wanted or needed to hear. I had also never considered that the passenger were concerned that they were not getting much oxygen since the cabin went only slightly over 10000 ft and the system operated at greatly reduced flow. Also, after the all clear, they did not like riding with the masks hanging and many stuffed them back up and closed the door. The captain's PA's concern me. While they contained the basic information, they did not do much in the public relations or fear department. I don't feel it was serious enough for me to make a PA, over his objections, better to my liking, but I feel responsible for a possible situation that could have given us a chance to show our professionalism instead of just to the minimum.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DSCNT FOLLOWING AN ACFT EQUIP PROB RAPID PRESSURIZATION FROM AN UNKNOWN CAUSE.

Narrative: WE HAD CLBED TO FL330 HOPING TO GET ABOVE CLOUDS FOR A GOOD RIDE AS WE PARALLELED A LINE OF TSTMS THAT WERE TO THE W. WE DIDN'T LIKE THE RIDE AT FL330 AND ASKED FOR LOWER AND WERE GIVEN FL290 FIRST. THE CAPT (A JUNIOR RESERVE CAPT) REACHED UP TO LOWER THE CABIN AND NOTICED IT WAS CLBING AT 500 FPM. BOTH PACKS APPEARED NORMAL, THE AUTO PRESSURIZATION SYS HAD THE OUTFLOW VALVE FULLY CLOSED, AND NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR LIGHTS APPEARED IN THE COCKPIT OR CABIN. AS THE CABIN SLOWLY PASSED 9000 FT, I SUGGESTED THAT WE BETTER START DOWN AND TRY TO STOP THE CLBING CABIN. ATC GAVE US SOME LOWER ALT AND I STARTED A BRISK DSCNT HOPING TO AVERT A 10000 FT CABIN ALT. I TRIED NOT TO PULL THE PWR BACK BUT WE WERE SOON NEARING THE BARBER POLE IN SPD AND I HAD TO. AS SOON AS I DID, THE CABIN RATE SHOT UP AND ATC GAVE US 10000 FT ON THE CAPT'S RPT TO THEM THAT WE HAD PRESSURIZATION PROBS AND HE DECLARED AN EMER. I INITIATED OUR EMER DSCNT PROC (HAD EARLIER DONNED MY MASK AT ABOUT 9500 FT CABIN ALT). THE CAPT SEEMED UNSURE AS TO WHAT TO DO AND KEPT SAYING 'SHIT' OVER AND OVER. I HANDED HIM THE EMER CHKLIST AND HE LOOKED IT OVER BUT NEVER INFORMED ME WHETHER IT WAS COMPLETE OR NOT. I HAD TO GET AN ALTIMETER SETTING. HE NEVER REALLY SAID ANYTHING SPECIFIC ABOUT WHO WAS GOING TO DO WHAT DURING THE DSCNT, SO I STATED THAT I HAD THE ACFT AND RADIOS AND HE COULD MAKE WHATEVER PA'S OR COMPANY CALLS HE NEEDED TO. THE CABIN NEVER WENT ABOVE 12000 FT BUT THE MASKS DID DROP. AS WE NEARED 10000 FT MSL, THE CABIN WAS BACK TO 10000 FT, THE CAPT MADE A PA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. ATC WAS GREAT AS FAR AS GIVING ME VECTORS AS I HAD TO DSND INTO THE WX AND NEEDED DEVS TO AVOID NUMEROUS CELLS. THEY PRESSED US FOR VERY LITTLE INFO UNTIL WE HAD THE TIME. THE CAPT WAS UNABLE TO RAISE THE COMPANY ON COMPANY FREQ BECAUSE OF OUR LOW ALT. HE DECIDED SINCE THERE WERE NO PAX PROBS AND THE AIRPLANE WAS OK, WE WOULD PROCEED TO OUR DEST AT 10000 FT. HE GOT VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE RADIO PROB AND SPENT A LONG TIME TYPING ON THE ACARS, WHICH DID HAVE COM. HE MISSED SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR INFO FROM THE COMPANY AND HAD TO RETYPE NEW MESSAGES. AFTER THINGS HAD SETTLED DOWN, WE REVIEWED ALL MANUALS FOR APPROPRIATE PROCS. SINCE I HAD NOT HEARD MOST OF HIS PA'S, I MADE SEVERAL COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT SUGGESTIONS AS FAR AS MAKING SURE HE HAD TOLD THE PAX EVERYTHING WAS OK, WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. HE MADE NO ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS AND I WAS SURPRISED THAT HE IGNORED MY SUGGESTIONS. HE FELT HE HAD DONE WHAT WAS REQUIRED. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT DEST. MOST PAX WERE QUIET AS THEY LEFT BUT ONE, WHO SAID HE HAD BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL EMERS, SAID THAT WE DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB. HE SEEMED PROFESSIONAL IN HIS MANNER BUT LEFT BEFORE I COULD FIND OUT MANY SPECIFICS AND HE DID NOT TALK TO THE CAPT AS I SUGGESTED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAVE BEEN STEWING ON HIS COMMENTS EVER SINCE. I FEEL BADLY THAT HE DID NOT OBVIOUSLY HEAR WHAT HE WANTED OR NEEDED TO HEAR. I HAD ALSO NEVER CONSIDERED THAT THE PAX WERE CONCERNED THAT THEY WERE NOT GETTING MUCH OXYGEN SINCE THE CABIN WENT ONLY SLIGHTLY OVER 10000 FT AND THE SYS OPERATED AT GREATLY REDUCED FLOW. ALSO, AFTER THE ALL CLR, THEY DID NOT LIKE RIDING WITH THE MASKS HANGING AND MANY STUFFED THEM BACK UP AND CLOSED THE DOOR. THE CAPT'S PA'S CONCERN ME. WHILE THEY CONTAINED THE BASIC INFO, THEY DID NOT DO MUCH IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OR FEAR DEPT. I DON'T FEEL IT WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH FOR ME TO MAKE A PA, OVER HIS OBJECTIONS, BETTER TO MY LIKING, BUT I FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR A POSSIBLE SIT THAT COULD HAVE GIVEN US A CHANCE TO SHOW OUR PROFESSIONALISM INSTEAD OF JUST TO THE MINIMUM.

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.