An air carrier first officer criticizes his captain's performance in an emergency descent situation.

Attributes
ACN	320191
Time
Date	199511
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hli airport : mem
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 3655 flight time type : 607
ASRS Report	320191
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	320616
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Leveling at FL240 with ice protection turned off but tail de-ice still going on, the right ice protect temperature high light came on. First officer gave captain the checklist for the problem. Captain followed checklist and closed right pneumatic xfeed that put out light. First officer then felt ears popping and saw captain adjusting cabin altitude selector. Cabin vvi was up to 2000 FPM climb. First officer called out cabin going thru 8000 ft, then 8500 ft. Captain said he was going manual pressurization and started adjusting valve wheel. Cabin went to 10000 ft and warning light came on. First officer put oxygen mask on, captain told ATC we needed to descend, then first officer began emergency descent, first officer declared emergency passing FL220. Passenger masks deployed and all passenger put on masks. First officer leveled at 10000 ft and captain called leveling to ATC. Center said there were no conflicts. Captain told passenger they could take off masks. Rest of flight uneventful. I believe several things could have been done better, looking back: 1) captain should have gone manual pressurization immediately instead of trying to use cabin altitude selector. 2) first officer or captain should have immediately declared emergency so ATC could help avoid conflicts if necessary before descent. This is not to preclude the pilot aviating first, then navigating, and finally communicating, but we could have communicated quicker. 3) captain did not put on mask quickly enough. He wanted to talk to passenger, but began to get hypoxic according to him. First officer reminded him, asked him to run entire checklist. Supplemental information from acn 320616: the senior flight attendant came forward to confirm our problem, since the passenger oxygen masks had dropped. I directed her to ensure all crew and passenger were on oxygen. Talking again with ATC, I informed him we had experienced a loss of pressurization and were descending to 10000 ft. He said we had not been issued clearance and I declared an emergency. This all occurred within 1000 ft of leaving FL240. Things progressed so fast that we were delayed in using the 'east' word. I should have declared an emergency earlier.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FO CRITICIZES HIS CAPT'S PERFORMANCE IN AN EMER DSCNT SITUATION.

Narrative: LEVELING AT FL240 WITH ICE PROTECTION TURNED OFF BUT TAIL DE-ICE STILL GOING ON, THE R ICE PROTECT TEMP HIGH LIGHT CAME ON. FO GAVE CAPT THE CHKLIST FOR THE PROB. CAPT FOLLOWED CHKLIST AND CLOSED R PNEUMATIC XFEED THAT PUT OUT LIGHT. FO THEN FELT EARS POPPING AND SAW CAPT ADJUSTING CABIN ALT SELECTOR. CABIN VVI WAS UP TO 2000 FPM CLB. FO CALLED OUT CABIN GOING THRU 8000 FT, THEN 8500 FT. CAPT SAID HE WAS GOING MANUAL PRESSURIZATION AND STARTED ADJUSTING VALVE WHEEL. CABIN WENT TO 10000 FT AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. FO PUT OXYGEN MASK ON, CAPT TOLD ATC WE NEEDED TO DSND, THEN FO BEGAN EMER DSCNT, FO DECLARED EMER PASSING FL220. PAX MASKS DEPLOYED AND ALL PAX PUT ON MASKS. FO LEVELED AT 10000 FT AND CAPT CALLED LEVELING TO ATC. CTR SAID THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS. CAPT TOLD PAX THEY COULD TAKE OFF MASKS. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE SEVERAL THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER, LOOKING BACK: 1) CAPT SHOULD HAVE GONE MANUAL PRESSURIZATION IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO USE CABIN ALT SELECTOR. 2) FO OR CAPT SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED EMER SO ATC COULD HELP AVOID CONFLICTS IF NECESSARY BEFORE DSCNT. THIS IS NOT TO PRECLUDE THE PLT AVIATING FIRST, THEN NAVING, AND FINALLY COMMUNICATING, BUT WE COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED QUICKER. 3) CAPT DID NOT PUT ON MASK QUICKLY ENOUGH. HE WANTED TO TALK TO PAX, BUT BEGAN TO GET HYPOXIC ACCORDING TO HIM. FO REMINDED HIM, ASKED HIM TO RUN ENTIRE CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 320616: THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT CAME FORWARD TO CONFIRM OUR PROB, SINCE THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS HAD DROPPED. I DIRECTED HER TO ENSURE ALL CREW AND PAX WERE ON OXYGEN. TALKING AGAIN WITH ATC, I INFORMED HIM WE HAD EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION AND WERE DSNDING TO 10000 FT. HE SAID WE HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED CLRNC AND I DECLARED AN EMER. THIS ALL OCCURRED WITHIN 1000 FT OF LEAVING FL240. THINGS PROGRESSED SO FAST THAT WE WERE DELAYED IN USING THE 'E' WORD. I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER EARLIER.

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.