An A320 receives a pressurization warning on its ECAM as it climbs through 13000 ft altitude in ZAU ...

Narrative:

Ord-phx. During flight, we received a left wing leak message on ECAM. ECAM procedures were followed and we notified dispatch and maintenance control. A short time later we received a right wing leak and an APU bleed air leak message. We then lost pressurization. We made an emergency descent into dsm. On the descent the right wing leak and APU bleed air leak message cleared. We no longer had an ECAM indication of a leak. I reset the right pack and bleed and pressurization was regained. Operations were normal after that. We landed the aircraft in dsm. An emergency was declared. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that they received the left wing leak ECAM message while climbing through 13000 ft. They also received a bleed management computer message and thought they had a bleed management computer fault or a left bleed fault. They called company maintenance to get their advice of whether to fly on or return to ord. They were advised to get the aircraft on the ground, preferably, soon. In a short while, the left bleed fault went off. The thinking was that the bleed management computer had failed, so it would be ok to climb higher without the use of the bleed management computer. As they climbed to FL240, the right wing bleed lead message appeared, and a blast of hot dry air came into the aircraft. With that happening, the captain declared an emergency and went to the closest field, which was dsm. When the aircraft was on the ground, the air carrier flew mechanics to inspect the aircraft and they found that there was a pneumatic leak close by where the high pressure air connects to the aircraft when a ground start is performed. The aircraft had been received from a 'C' check 3 days prior. The APU hadn't been working the past 3 days. The theory is that the 'C' check and APU not operating, there had been many connects and disconnects to the pneumatic external air connection and it had been used so much that it dislodged the fasteners that hold the connection in place. That was the only place a leak of pneumatics appeared. Aircraft was repaired and flown out the next day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 RECEIVES A PRESSURIZATION WARNING ON ITS ECAM AS IT CLBS THROUGH 13000 FT ALT IN ZAU AIRSPACE. FLC DECLARES AN EMER AND DIVERTS TO DSM, IA.

Narrative: ORD-PHX. DURING FLT, WE RECEIVED A L WING LEAK MESSAGE ON ECAM. ECAM PROCS WERE FOLLOWED AND WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. A SHORT TIME LATER WE RECEIVED A R WING LEAK AND AN APU BLEED AIR LEAK MESSAGE. WE THEN LOST PRESSURIZATION. WE MADE AN EMER DSCNT INTO DSM. ON THE DSCNT THE R WING LEAK AND APU BLEED AIR LEAK MESSAGE CLRED. WE NO LONGER HAD AN ECAM INDICATION OF A LEAK. I RESET THE R PACK AND BLEED AND PRESSURIZATION WAS REGAINED. OPS WERE NORMAL AFTER THAT. WE LANDED THE ACFT IN DSM. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THEY RECEIVED THE L WING LEAK ECAM MESSAGE WHILE CLBING THROUGH 13000 FT. THEY ALSO RECEIVED A BLEED MGMNT COMPUTER MESSAGE AND THOUGHT THEY HAD A BLEED MGMNT COMPUTER FAULT OR A L BLEED FAULT. THEY CALLED COMPANY MAINT TO GET THEIR ADVICE OF WHETHER TO FLY ON OR RETURN TO ORD. THEY WERE ADVISED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND, PREFERABLY, SOON. IN A SHORT WHILE, THE L BLEED FAULT WENT OFF. THE THINKING WAS THAT THE BLEED MGMNT COMPUTER HAD FAILED, SO IT WOULD BE OK TO CLB HIGHER WITHOUT THE USE OF THE BLEED MGMNT COMPUTER. AS THEY CLBED TO FL240, THE R WING BLEED LEAD MESSAGE APPEARED, AND A BLAST OF HOT DRY AIR CAME INTO THE ACFT. WITH THAT HAPPENING, THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND WENT TO THE CLOSEST FIELD, WHICH WAS DSM. WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON THE GND, THE ACR FLEW MECHS TO INSPECT THE ACFT AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS A PNEUMATIC LEAK CLOSE BY WHERE THE HIGH PRESSURE AIR CONNECTS TO THE ACFT WHEN A GND START IS PERFORMED. THE ACFT HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM A 'C' CHK 3 DAYS PRIOR. THE APU HADN'T BEEN WORKING THE PAST 3 DAYS. THE THEORY IS THAT THE 'C' CHK AND APU NOT OPERATING, THERE HAD BEEN MANY CONNECTS AND DISCONNECTS TO THE PNEUMATIC EXTERNAL AIR CONNECTION AND IT HAD BEEN USED SO MUCH THAT IT DISLODGED THE FASTENERS THAT HOLD THE CONNECTION IN PLACE. THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE A LEAK OF PNEUMATICS APPEARED. ACFT WAS REPAIRED AND FLOWN OUT THE NEXT DAY.

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.

Attributes
ACN	427016
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dsm
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11100 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	427016
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other

An A320 receives a pressurization warning on its ECAM as it climbs through 13000 ft altitude in ZAU airspace. Flight crew declares an emergency and diverts to dsm, ia.