Narrative:

They do not know what caused problem. It was an unexplained mechanical. We heard 4 chimes when we had just started the food and beverage service. I went to the cockpit with the #1 flight attendant as she had only been flying 3 months. I knew something was wrong as soon as the aircraft attitude had changed. We were going vertically down. I opened the cockpit door and the captain and first officer were on oxygen. I asked them what was going on and they said we were going to have a decompression. I told the #1 flight attendant to make the decompression PA and to stow everything and get out oxygen walkaround bottle. Then I told the #2 flight attendant of the situation and as we were running with carts to put away everything I told passenger to take oxygen when masks dropped. We went from FL350 to 10000 ft in under 1 1/2 mins. Fortunately we got to 10000 ft before masks dropped. We were very short of breath due to no air in the cabin. I felt very faint and #2 flight attendant was getting out oxygen walkaround bottles. At this time the door by my exit G-3 opened inside to pressurize cabin. I called the cockpit to tell them air was coming in, and they said this was normal cabin pressurization and that we would be diverting and landing in dulles. The cockpit was very helpful with keeping us informed of situation. Our landing was fine. We had a quick debrief then the company had us deadhead to dfw on a flight 30 mins later to work our trip dfw-lga. The first officer was able to manually decompress cabin. I do feel masks should have dropped sooner and in the event this would happen again, the first thing I would do is don oxygen walkaround bottles. As one of the deadheading flight attendants told me, I was completely white. I feel the situation was handled very professionally by all and I felt very prepared for an emergency. My training all came into play.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, S80, LGA-DFW, EMER DECOMPRESSION. OXYGEN MASKS DROP AT 10000 FT. DIVERT TO DCA.

Narrative: THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED PROB. IT WAS AN UNEXPLAINED MECHANICAL. WE HEARD 4 CHIMES WHEN WE HAD JUST STARTED THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SVC. I WENT TO THE COCKPIT WITH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AS SHE HAD ONLY BEEN FLYING 3 MONTHS. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AS SOON AS THE ACFT ATTITUDE HAD CHANGED. WE WERE GOING VERTLY DOWN. I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND THE CAPT AND FO WERE ON OXYGEN. I ASKED THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THEY SAID WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A DECOMPRESSION. I TOLD THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO MAKE THE DECOMPRESSION PA AND TO STOW EVERYTHING AND GET OUT OXYGEN WALKAROUND BOTTLE. THEN I TOLD THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT OF THE SIT AND AS WE WERE RUNNING WITH CARTS TO PUT AWAY EVERYTHING I TOLD PAX TO TAKE OXYGEN WHEN MASKS DROPPED. WE WENT FROM FL350 TO 10000 FT IN UNDER 1 1/2 MINS. FORTUNATELY WE GOT TO 10000 FT BEFORE MASKS DROPPED. WE WERE VERY SHORT OF BREATH DUE TO NO AIR IN THE CABIN. I FELT VERY FAINT AND #2 FLT ATTENDANT WAS GETTING OUT OXYGEN WALKAROUND BOTTLES. AT THIS TIME THE DOOR BY MY EXIT G-3 OPENED INSIDE TO PRESSURIZE CABIN. I CALLED THE COCKPIT TO TELL THEM AIR WAS COMING IN, AND THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL CABIN PRESSURIZATION AND THAT WE WOULD BE DIVERTING AND LNDG IN DULLES. THE COCKPIT WAS VERY HELPFUL WITH KEEPING US INFORMED OF SIT. OUR LNDG WAS FINE. WE HAD A QUICK DEBRIEF THEN THE COMPANY HAD US DEADHEAD TO DFW ON A FLT 30 MINS LATER TO WORK OUR TRIP DFW-LGA. THE FO WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY DECOMPRESS CABIN. I DO FEEL MASKS SHOULD HAVE DROPPED SOONER AND IN THE EVENT THIS WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS DON OXYGEN WALKAROUND BOTTLES. AS ONE OF THE DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD ME, I WAS COMPLETELY WHITE. I FEEL THE SIT WAS HANDLED VERY PROFESSIONALLY BY ALL AND I FELT VERY PREPARED FOR AN EMER. MY TRAINING ALL CAME INTO PLAY.

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.