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Flight crew of an medium large transport declared an emergency descent and diverted to land when they lost cabin pressurization in high altitude cruise due to a leaking aft galley door seal.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 367734 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199705 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ocf |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| 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 |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 454 |
| ASRS Report | 367734 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| 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 other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
We were level at FL350 when the cabin altitude horn sounded. I looked at the pressurization panel and saw the 'flow' light illuminated and the cabin climbing approximately 700-1000 FPM. The first officer switched controllers (to no avail -- #1 was working fine). We then obtained an emergency descent clearance, declaring an emergency, in accordance with the checklist procedure. We descended to 11000 ft and flew unpressuirzed and uneventfully the remainder of our flight to orl. The cabin altitude climbed to between 11000 and 12000 ft maximum, so oxygen masks never dropped in passenger cabin. The flight attendant in back called during descent to tell us of a 'screaming leakage' sound at back galley door, where we believe the loss of pressurization took place. We wrote up loss of pressurization and had mechanics meet the flight, and explained our ideas to them regarding aft galley door leak.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN MLG DECLARED AN EMER DSCNT AND DIVERTED TO LAND WHEN THEY LOST CABIN PRESSURIZATION IN HIGH ALT CRUISE DUE TO A LEAKING AFT GALLEY DOOR SEAL.
Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL350 WHEN THE CABIN ALT HORN SOUNDED. I LOOKED AT THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL AND SAW THE 'FLOW' LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CABIN CLBING APPROX 700-1000 FPM. THE FO SWITCHED CTLRS (TO NO AVAIL -- #1 WAS WORKING FINE). WE THEN OBTAINED AN EMER DSCNT CLRNC, DECLARING AN EMER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHKLIST PROC. WE DSNDED TO 11000 FT AND FLEW UNPRESSUIRZED AND UNEVENTFULLY THE REMAINDER OF OUR FLT TO ORL. THE CABIN ALT CLBED TO BTWN 11000 AND 12000 FT MAX, SO OXYGEN MASKS NEVER DROPPED IN PAX CABIN. THE FLT ATTENDANT IN BACK CALLED DURING DSCNT TO TELL US OF A 'SCREAMING LEAKAGE' SOUND AT BACK GALLEY DOOR, WHERE WE BELIEVE THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION TOOK PLACE. WE WROTE UP LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION AND HAD MECHS MEET THE FLT, AND EXPLAINED OUR IDEAS TO THEM REGARDING AFT GALLEY DOOR LEAK.
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.