Narrative:

I was en route from sgf to cxu direct cruising at FL370 when I experienced rapid decompression. I donned my oxygen mask and immediately declared an emergency with ZTL and told them I was executing an emergency descent immediately. The controller told me there was traffic at my 1 - 1:30 O'clock position, a DC9 at FL290. I told him 'no joy' and that I was passing through FL290 at this time as my descent rate was approximately 12000 FPM. I descended to 11000 ft and the controller told me to call him when I got on the ground, and gave me a phone number. I called the number after I landed at cxu and he answered the phone as 'atlanta watch supervisor.' I told him who I was and he said 'there was a DC9 at FL330, 4 1/2 mi from you and it set off an alarm but the DC9 pilot didn't see you -- you didn't see him, no evasive action was taken so no paperwork is necessary, but I just wanted to make sure that you and your passenger are ok, thank you very much sir for calling back.' I believe what caused the problem was the controller's failure to turn the DC9 immediately when I declared an emergency and told them I was executing an emergency descent immediately. I believe the problem can be corrected in the future if the controllers will act on turning traffic away from an aircraft's flight path that has an emergency in progress the instant the aircraft in distress declares an emergency as the aircraft with an emergency in progress always has the right-of-way over traffic with no emergency in progress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR JET AT FL370 EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION. PLT DONNED OXYGEN MASK, DECLARED EMER AND ADVISED THE ARTCC CTLR THAT HE WAS EXECUTING AN EMER DSCNT. THE RADAR CTLR GAVE THE CPR JET TFC INFO ON AN ACR DC9 AT FL290 AND WHEN THE CPR JET WAS AT 11000 FT HE WAS ASKED TO CALL THE ARTCC. THE ARTCC SUPVR JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RPTR WAS OK AND SAID THAT THE DC9 GOT A TCASII AS THE CPR JET WENT THROUGH HIS ALT. THE RPTR WAS CRITICAL OF THE CTLR BECAUSE HE DIDN'T TURN THE DC9.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM SGF TO CXU DIRECT CRUISING AT FL370 WHEN I EXPERIENCED RAPID DECOMPRESSION. I DONNED MY OXYGEN MASK AND IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZTL AND TOLD THEM I WAS EXECUTING AN EMER DSCNT IMMEDIATELY. THE CTLR TOLD ME THERE WAS TFC AT MY 1 - 1:30 O'CLOCK POS, A DC9 AT FL290. I TOLD HIM 'NO JOY' AND THAT I WAS PASSING THROUGH FL290 AT THIS TIME AS MY DSCNT RATE WAS APPROX 12000 FPM. I DSNDED TO 11000 FT AND THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CALL HIM WHEN I GOT ON THE GND, AND GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER. I CALLED THE NUMBER AFTER I LANDED AT CXU AND HE ANSWERED THE PHONE AS 'ATLANTA WATCH SUPVR.' I TOLD HIM WHO I WAS AND HE SAID 'THERE WAS A DC9 AT FL330, 4 1/2 MI FROM YOU AND IT SET OFF AN ALARM BUT THE DC9 PLT DIDN'T SEE YOU -- YOU DIDN'T SEE HIM, NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN SO NO PAPERWORK IS NECESSARY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR PAX ARE OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR FOR CALLING BACK.' I BELIEVE WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS THE CTLR'S FAILURE TO TURN THE DC9 IMMEDIATELY WHEN I DECLARED AN EMER AND TOLD THEM I WAS EXECUTING AN EMER DSCNT IMMEDIATELY. I BELIEVE THE PROB CAN BE CORRECTED IN THE FUTURE IF THE CTLRS WILL ACT ON TURNING TFC AWAY FROM AN ACFT'S FLT PATH THAT HAS AN EMER IN PROGRESS THE INSTANT THE ACFT IN DISTRESS DECLARES AN EMER AS THE ACFT WITH AN EMER IN PROGRESS ALWAYS HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER TFC WITH NO EMER IN PROGRESS.

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.