 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A B737-300 in intermediate climb at 8000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to the cockpit filled with fiberglas insulation and high noise level.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 449469 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199909 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit.airport |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure : other published ifr departure |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 6200 |
| ASRS Report | 449469 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 449684 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At 8000 ft an aircraft air duct exploded in cockpit. This caused extreme noise and also blew aircraft yellow insulation throughout the cockpit. This disrupted cockpit and ATC communications. An emergency was declared and a return to pit was accomplished. Oxygen masks were not put to use because both flight crew members were coughing due to the insulation in the cockpit environment. A quick return to point of departure was the only solution. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B737-300. The reporter said the air conditioning duct separation occurred under the cockpit floor and behind the lower left instrument panel showering fiberglas insulation throughout the cockpit. The reporter said the oxygen masks were useless as the fiberglas was in the masks. The reporter said maintenance advised the cause was overpressure of the left pack bleed air by the engine mounted pressure regulator and shutoff valve.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 IN INTERMEDIATE CLB AT 8000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH FIBERGLAS INSULATION AND HIGH NOISE LEVEL.
Narrative: AT 8000 FT AN ACFT AIR DUCT EXPLODED IN COCKPIT. THIS CAUSED EXTREME NOISE AND ALSO BLEW ACFT YELLOW INSULATION THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT. THIS DISRUPTED COCKPIT AND ATC COMS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND A RETURN TO PIT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. OXYGEN MASKS WERE NOT PUT TO USE BECAUSE BOTH FLC MEMBERS WERE COUGHING DUE TO THE INSULATION IN THE COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT. A QUICK RETURN TO POINT OF DEP WAS THE ONLY SOLUTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B737-300. THE RPTR SAID THE AIR CONDITIONING DUCT SEPARATION OCCURRED UNDER THE COCKPIT FLOOR AND BEHIND THE LOWER L INST PANEL SHOWERING FIBERGLAS INSULATION THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT. THE RPTR SAID THE OXYGEN MASKS WERE USELESS AS THE FIBERGLAS WAS IN THE MASKS. THE RPTR SAID MAINT ADVISED THE CAUSE WAS OVERPRESSURE OF THE L PACK BLEED AIR BY THE ENG MOUNTED PRESSURE REGULATOR AND SHUTOFF VALVE.
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.