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First officer of an large transport found no emergency oxygen after donning an oxygen mask while 1 crew member leaves the cockpit as required by the FARS during high altitude flts.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 328615 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dsm |
| State Reference | IA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc tower : dca |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 328615 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
2 1/2 hours into 3 1/2 hour flight, pdx-cvg, captain retired to lav. When first officer donned oxygen mask, he got no oxygen flow. Gauge for crew oxygen read zero. Found captain's emergency oxygen switch cracked open, depleting oxygen. After consulting with flight control about fuel burn, we descended to FL190 and continued to cvg. FARS prohibited unpressurized flight above 10000 ft MSL, but we were still pressurized. Useful consciousness considerations and common sense dictated a descent out of FL330. Military experience with cabin pressures up to 20000 ft caused me to choose FL190 as a reasonable compromise between fuel burn and time for safe descent in event of pressure loss.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF AN LGT FOUND NO EMER OXYGEN AFTER DONNING AN OXYGEN MASK WHILE 1 CREW MEMBER LEAVES THE COCKPIT AS REQUIRED BY THE FARS DURING HIGH ALT FLTS.
Narrative: 2 1/2 HRS INTO 3 1/2 HR FLT, PDX-CVG, CAPT RETIRED TO LAV. WHEN FO DONNED OXYGEN MASK, HE GOT NO OXYGEN FLOW. GAUGE FOR CREW OXYGEN READ ZERO. FOUND CAPT'S EMER OXYGEN SWITCH CRACKED OPEN, DEPLETING OXYGEN. AFTER CONSULTING WITH FLT CTL ABOUT FUEL BURN, WE DSNDED TO FL190 AND CONTINUED TO CVG. FARS PROHIBITED UNPRESSURIZED FLT ABOVE 10000 FT MSL, BUT WE WERE STILL PRESSURIZED. USEFUL CONSCIOUSNESS CONSIDERATIONS AND COMMON SENSE DICTATED A DSCNT OUT OF FL330. MIL EXPERIENCE WITH CABIN PRESSURES UP TO 20000 FT CAUSED ME TO CHOOSE FL190 AS A REASONABLE COMPROMISE BTWN FUEL BURN AND TIME FOR SAFE DSCNT IN EVENT OF PRESSURE LOSS.
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.