Narrative:

Atl to ewr, at an altitude of FL370, in cruise, the altitude warning horn went off followed by deployment of the passenger oxygen masks. I was flying the airplane and gave control to the first officer while I donned my oxygen mask. I then took back control of the aircraft while the first officer donned his mask. We established communication with each other and turned on the seat belt sign. The cabin was above 14000 ft so we asked center for an immediate descent. We were cleared to FL350 then down to FL250 and then down to 10000 ft. We ran the emergency depressurization checklist but were unable to control the cabin. We advised ATC we were going to divert to gso. At 10000 ft we switched the pressurization controller back to automatic and were able to control the cabin again. At one point during our descent we noticed the main cabin door light on, so I opted to descend in level change at 310 KTS about 3500 FPM taking approximately 7-8 mins to reach 10000 ft. At gso we had the paramedics meet the aircraft. 2 people needed assistance and were released by the paramedics. During our descent, I gave a PA to the people, but it was garbled due to me talking through the oxygen mask. At 10000 ft I gave another PA telling the passenger what had happened. That we were diverting and oxygen was no longer needed. We called company in iah on the air phone and told them we were diverting along with the station in gso. At 10000 ft, a flight attendant came to the cockpit and I briefed him of our situation and a normal landing in gso in about 20 mins. After talking with the flight attendant, he informed me that 2 of the flight attendants had passed out trying to get from mid cabin to their forward jump seat. The first class passenger helped the flight attendants on with their oxygen masks, and they regained consciousness. Initially during the descent from FL370, I had tried to reach the flight attendants but no one answered. I later found out why. There was banging at the cockpit door and this turned out to be the passenger banging on the door. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew was flying a B737-300 aircraft. After landing, company maintenance found that all cabin door seals were leaking excessively. The forward outflow valve was found to not close fully. This would account for loss of cabin pressurization control. Company flight attendant training was deficient. The flight attendants did not take the first available seat and don oxygen masks. They were found passed out in the aisle floor. A deadheading flight attendant took charge of the cabin when it was safe to be up. The crew was unable to communicate with the cabin because the oxygen mask mikes were unintelligible in the cabin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 LOST CTL OF THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION AND MADE AN EMER DSCNT.

Narrative: ATL TO EWR, AT AN ALT OF FL370, IN CRUISE, THE ALT WARNING HORN WENT OFF FOLLOWED BY DEPLOYMENT OF THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS. I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND GAVE CTL TO THE FO WHILE I DONNED MY OXYGEN MASK. I THEN TOOK BACK CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE THE FO DONNED HIS MASK. WE ESTABLISHED COM WITH EACH OTHER AND TURNED ON THE SEAT BELT SIGN. THE CABIN WAS ABOVE 14000 FT SO WE ASKED CTR FOR AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT. WE WERE CLRED TO FL350 THEN DOWN TO FL250 AND THEN DOWN TO 10000 FT. WE RAN THE EMER DEPRESSURIZATION CHKLIST BUT WERE UNABLE TO CTL THE CABIN. WE ADVISED ATC WE WERE GOING TO DIVERT TO GSO. AT 10000 FT WE SWITCHED THE PRESSURIZATION CONTROLLER BACK TO AUTO AND WERE ABLE TO CTL THE CABIN AGAIN. AT ONE POINT DURING OUR DSCNT WE NOTICED THE MAIN CABIN DOOR LIGHT ON, SO I OPTED TO DSND IN LEVEL CHANGE AT 310 KTS ABOUT 3500 FPM TAKING APPROX 7-8 MINS TO REACH 10000 FT. AT GSO WE HAD THE PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT. 2 PEOPLE NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND WERE RELEASED BY THE PARAMEDICS. DURING OUR DSCNT, I GAVE A PA TO THE PEOPLE, BUT IT WAS GARBLED DUE TO ME TALKING THROUGH THE OXYGEN MASK. AT 10000 FT I GAVE ANOTHER PA TELLING THE PAX WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THAT WE WERE DIVERTING AND OXYGEN WAS NO LONGER NEEDED. WE CALLED COMPANY IN IAH ON THE AIR PHONE AND TOLD THEM WE WERE DIVERTING ALONG WITH THE STATION IN GSO. AT 10000 FT, A FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND I BRIEFED HIM OF OUR SIT AND A NORMAL LNDG IN GSO IN ABOUT 20 MINS. AFTER TALKING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT, HE INFORMED ME THAT 2 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD PASSED OUT TRYING TO GET FROM MID CABIN TO THEIR FORWARD JUMP SEAT. THE FIRST CLASS PAX HELPED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON WITH THEIR OXYGEN MASKS, AND THEY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS. INITIALLY DURING THE DSCNT FROM FL370, I HAD TRIED TO REACH THE FLT ATTENDANTS BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. I LATER FOUND OUT WHY. THERE WAS BANGING AT THE COCKPIT DOOR AND THIS TURNED OUT TO BE THE PAX BANGING ON THE DOOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING A B737-300 ACFT. AFTER LNDG, COMPANY MAINT FOUND THAT ALL CABIN DOOR SEALS WERE LEAKING EXCESSIVELY. THE FORWARD OUTFLOW VALVE WAS FOUND TO NOT CLOSE FULLY. THIS WOULD ACCOUNT FOR LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURIZATION CTL. COMPANY FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING WAS DEFICIENT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT TAKE THE FIRST AVAILABLE SEAT AND DON OXYGEN MASKS. THEY WERE FOUND PASSED OUT IN THE AISLE FLOOR. A DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT TOOK CHARGE OF THE CABIN WHEN IT WAS SAFE TO BE UP. THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CABIN BECAUSE THE OXYGEN MASK MIKES WERE UNINTELLIGIBLE IN THE CABIN.

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.