Narrative:

In cruise at FL190, we experienced a rapid decompression. I requested emergency descent to 10000 ft. After completing memory action items for the procedure, we leveled at 10000 ft MSL. I looked at door and it appeared that the door seal had blown. While I briefed passenger, the captain coordinated with dispatch regarding diversion to alternate airport versus continuing on to boston, our scheduled destination. Dispatch coordinated an expedient handling with boston and our cabin pressure was now under control at 10000 ft MSL. Passenger appeared calm, the situation seemed under control. We decided to continue to boston. I briefed passenger and we continued. Around gardner VOR we were told by ATC that all flow into bos was now cut off and to copy holding instructions. We decided we needed to divert to pwm, our scheduled alternate due to fuel -- we were close to our divert fuel, based on our position at that time. We landed uneventfully at pwm. Because we had executed emergency descent procedures, including dropping the passenger oxygen masks, the captain and I discussed afterwards, at a later date, that we should have diverted to albany, the nearest suitable airport at the time of the event. At the time, we decided to continue on to boston since the situation seemed under control and passenger safety was no longer a factor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the door seal had blown out in the lower surface of the door. The reporter said the door and the aircraft had no previous maintenance history on door seal failures, or loss of pressurization.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 1900 IN CRUISE AT FL190 EXECUTED AN EMER DSCNT DUE TO RAPID LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION CAUSED BY A FAILED FORWARD ENTRANCE DOOR SEAL.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL190, WE EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECOMPRESSION. I REQUESTED EMER DSCNT TO 10000 FT. AFTER COMPLETING MEMORY ACTION ITEMS FOR THE PROC, WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT MSL. I LOOKED AT DOOR AND IT APPEARED THAT THE DOOR SEAL HAD BLOWN. WHILE I BRIEFED PAX, THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH REGARDING DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT VERSUS CONTINUING ON TO BOSTON, OUR SCHEDULED DEST. DISPATCH COORDINATED AN EXPEDIENT HANDLING WITH BOSTON AND OUR CABIN PRESSURE WAS NOW UNDER CTL AT 10000 FT MSL. PAX APPEARED CALM, THE SIT SEEMED UNDER CTL. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO BOSTON. I BRIEFED PAX AND WE CONTINUED. AROUND GARDNER VOR WE WERE TOLD BY ATC THAT ALL FLOW INTO BOS WAS NOW CUT OFF AND TO COPY HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO DIVERT TO PWM, OUR SCHEDULED ALTERNATE DUE TO FUEL -- WE WERE CLOSE TO OUR DIVERT FUEL, BASED ON OUR POS AT THAT TIME. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT PWM. BECAUSE WE HAD EXECUTED EMER DSCNT PROCS, INCLUDING DROPPING THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS, THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED AFTERWARDS, AT A LATER DATE, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED TO ALBANY, THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. AT THE TIME, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO BOSTON SINCE THE SIT SEEMED UNDER CTL AND PAX SAFETY WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DOOR SEAL HAD BLOWN OUT IN THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE DOOR. THE RPTR SAID THE DOOR AND THE ACFT HAD NO PREVIOUS MAINT HISTORY ON DOOR SEAL FAILURES, OR 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.