Cabin attendant report, A300, mia-sdq. Emergency decompression. Return to mia.

Attributes
ACN	459315
Time
Date	199912
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma.artcc
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	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 : 7
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 8.4 flight attendant time total : 8.4 flight attendant time type : 35
ASRS Report	459315
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 maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After reaching cruise altitude and starting the beverage/meal service, the purser made a PA for flight attendants to put the carts away, the engines throttled down, and we had a sudden nose low-tail high attitude, indicating a sudden descent. As we began the descent, all of the oxygen compartments opened. We all immediately donned oxygen masks, assisted passenger, and remained on oxygen until the captain advised us that we were at 10000 ft. After reaching 10000 ft, we assisted passenger as needed, cleaned and cleared away all service items and prepared the cabin for landing back in mia. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they had had a mechanical delay on the ground with regards to the avionics compartment beneath the cockpit, where the valves for recirculating air are found. One of the valves kept popping, but eventually, the mechanics did a test run, and it worked. Once airborne, it happened again. According to the captain, there was a slow leak, causing a slow decompression. The captain decided to activate the cabin oxygen masks, because the warning bells and instruments showed that the cabin pressure was climbing above 10000 ft. Once they reached 10000 ft in their rapid descent, the captain told the people that they had had a decompression and could take off their masks, and that they were returning to miami. During the decompression, some of the oxygen compartments didn't open, but fortunately they weren't full, so they could use masks from alternate rows, because the mask's hoses extended up to 3 rows forward or back. After leveling to 10000 ft, crew checked the lavatories, but fortunately no one had been in them, but all the masks had deployed. One woman became 'chalky,' so they had paramedics meet the aircraft. This woman collapsed on the purser loading her into the wheelchair, injuring the purser. The crew debriefed with the flight service manager in miami, who commended the crew for their professionalism, thus preventing panic among the passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, A300, MIA-SDQ. EMER DECOMPRESSION. RETURN TO MIA.

Narrative: AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT AND STARTING THE BEVERAGE/MEAL SVC, THE PURSER MADE A PA FOR FLT ATTENDANTS TO PUT THE CARTS AWAY, THE ENGS THROTTLED DOWN, AND WE HAD A SUDDEN NOSE LOW-TAIL HIGH ATTITUDE, INDICATING A SUDDEN DSCNT. AS WE BEGAN THE DSCNT, ALL OF THE OXYGEN COMPARTMENTS OPENED. WE ALL IMMEDIATELY DONNED OXYGEN MASKS, ASSISTED PAX, AND REMAINED ON OXYGEN UNTIL THE CAPT ADVISED US THAT WE WERE AT 10000 FT. AFTER REACHING 10000 FT, WE ASSISTED PAX AS NEEDED, CLEANED AND CLRED AWAY ALL SVC ITEMS AND PREPARED THE CABIN FOR LNDG BACK IN MIA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY HAD HAD A MECHANICAL DELAY ON THE GND WITH REGARDS TO THE AVIONICS COMPARTMENT BENEATH THE COCKPIT, WHERE THE VALVES FOR RECIRCULATING AIR ARE FOUND. ONE OF THE VALVES KEPT POPPING, BUT EVENTUALLY, THE MECHS DID A TEST RUN, AND IT WORKED. ONCE AIRBORNE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK, CAUSING A SLOW DECOMPRESSION. THE CAPT DECIDED TO ACTIVATE THE CABIN OXYGEN MASKS, BECAUSE THE WARNING BELLS AND INSTS SHOWED THAT THE CABIN PRESSURE WAS CLBING ABOVE 10000 FT. ONCE THEY REACHED 10000 FT IN THEIR RAPID DSCNT, THE CAPT TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD HAD A DECOMPRESSION AND COULD TAKE OFF THEIR MASKS, AND THAT THEY WERE RETURNING TO MIAMI. DURING THE DECOMPRESSION, SOME OF THE OXYGEN COMPARTMENTS DIDN'T OPEN, BUT FORTUNATELY THEY WEREN'T FULL, SO THEY COULD USE MASKS FROM ALTERNATE ROWS, BECAUSE THE MASK'S HOSES EXTENDED UP TO 3 ROWS FORWARD OR BACK. AFTER LEVELING TO 10000 FT, CREW CHKED THE LAVATORIES, BUT FORTUNATELY NO ONE HAD BEEN IN THEM, BUT ALL THE MASKS HAD DEPLOYED. ONE WOMAN BECAME 'CHALKY,' SO THEY HAD PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT. THIS WOMAN COLLAPSED ON THE PURSER LOADING HER INTO THE WHEELCHAIR, INJURING THE PURSER. THE CREW DEBRIEFED WITH THE FLT SVC MGR IN MIAMI, WHO COMMENDED THE CREW FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, THUS PREVENTING PANIC AMONG THE PAX.

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.