Flight attendant report on S80 iad-dfw equipment problem, emergency descent. Oxygen masks deployed.

Attributes
ACN	437337
Time
Date	199904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw.artcc
State Reference	TX
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level descent : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 3
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 10.9 flight attendant time total : 10.9
ASRS Report	437337
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : #1
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Environmental Factor Aircraft

Narrative:

The airplane was cold the entire flight. We had to keep calling the cockpit to tell them to warm the airplane. I'm guessing about 30 NM or more before landing I stuck my head in the cockpit to tell them it was still cold. It was basically said that something must be wrong because the temperature control was indicating that the cabin was comfortable. While I was in the cockpit a warning 'altitude' came on. The pilots turned their heads facing front at the controls and I left. As I was walking back to the rear of the airplane it began to descend very quickly. We were also hitting turbulence. Then the oxygen mask fell from the ceiling and we donned the oxygen. The #1 flight attendant was able to visually show passenger how to take oxygen. We were not able to walk through the cabin due to the turbulence. Passenger were calm. Only 1 passenger was very upset due to the incident. But, we were able to reassure her that we had the decompression due to the change in altitude in the cabin. We landed in dallas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON S80 IAD-DFW EQUIP PROB, EMER DSCNT. OXYGEN MASKS DEPLOYED.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE WAS COLD THE ENTIRE FLT. WE HAD TO KEEP CALLING THE COCKPIT TO TELL THEM TO WARM THE AIRPLANE. I'M GUESSING ABOUT 30 NM OR MORE BEFORE LNDG I STUCK MY HEAD IN THE COCKPIT TO TELL THEM IT WAS STILL COLD. IT WAS BASICALLY SAID THAT SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG BECAUSE THE TEMP CTL WAS INDICATING THAT THE CABIN WAS COMFORTABLE. WHILE I WAS IN THE COCKPIT A WARNING 'ALT' CAME ON. THE PLTS TURNED THEIR HEADS FACING FRONT AT THE CTLS AND I LEFT. AS I WAS WALKING BACK TO THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE IT BEGAN TO DSND VERY QUICKLY. WE WERE ALSO HITTING TURB. THEN THE OXYGEN MASK FELL FROM THE CEILING AND WE DONNED THE OXYGEN. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY SHOW PAX HOW TO TAKE OXYGEN. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO WALK THROUGH THE CABIN DUE TO THE TURB. PAX WERE CALM. ONLY 1 PAX WAS VERY UPSET DUE TO THE INCIDENT. BUT, WE WERE ABLE TO REASSURE HER THAT WE HAD THE DECOMPRESSION DUE TO THE CHANGE IN ALT IN THE CABIN. WE LANDED IN DALLAS.

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.