<< >> NASA ASRS Report 388667, December 1997

A B737-300 in cruise at FL330 declared an emergency and diverted due to cabin depressurization caused by a forward cargo door seal damaged and blown out.

Attributes
ACN	388667
Time
Date	199712
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	388667
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	388663
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While leveling out at FL330, both the captain and I noticed a thumping noise which appeared to come from the forward galley area. This was immediately followed by the cabin altitude climbing at 3000-4000 FPM. We accomplished the excessive cabin altitude checklist. The cabin altitude was uncontrollable. We then immediately accomplished an emergency descent to 10000 ft. We then communicated with the flight attendants and the two deadheading pilots on board as to what they thought might have caused the problem. After evaluating all the information we decided that there was no structural damage and we elected to return to clt. We made an unpressurized landing in clt with no further incident. As we suspected the forward cargo door seal was badly damaged and was the cause of the loss of pressurization.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 IN CRUISE AT FL330 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO CABIN DEPRESSURIZATION CAUSED BY A FORWARD CARGO DOOR SEAL DAMAGED AND BLOWN OUT.

Narrative: WHILE LEVELING OUT AT FL330, BOTH THE CAPT AND I NOTICED A THUMPING NOISE WHICH APPEARED TO COME FROM THE FORWARD GALLEY AREA. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE CABIN ALT CLBING AT 3000-4000 FPM. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE EXCESSIVE CABIN ALT CHKLIST. THE CABIN ALT WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. WE THEN IMMEDIATELY ACCOMPLISHED AN EMER DSCNT TO 10000 FT. WE THEN COMMUNICATED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE TWO DEADHEADING PLTS ON BOARD AS TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE PROB. AFTER EVALUATING ALL THE INFO WE DECIDED THAT THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO CLT. WE MADE AN UNPRESSURIZED LNDG IN CLT WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AS WE SUSPECTED THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR SEAL WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION.

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.