Narrative:

I fly for a company. We do aerial photography. We were at FL250 in clear skies photographing columbia glacier near valdez, ak. We were almost finished with our flight line at which we would have asked for a descent to lower altitudes. The person operating the camera suddenly noticed that his oxygen mask had come unplugged and he didn't know how long it was unplugged. He started to panic and point down and I began a descent. Center noticed that we were descending, and asked what were our intentions. I tried several times to communicate, but each time they said they couldn't understand me. We were using oxygen mask and my oxygen mask covered in such a way that the microphone wasn't in the best position. But, through our broken conversation, center heard the words 'oxygen problem, I'm going down,' which was said, but mixed with an explanation, and a request which I guess they didn't understand. After I had leveled off at a lower altitude, maybe FL210, center was able to understand me clearly, asked if I wanted to declare emergency. I said no, asked what I wanted to do, I said descend to 17000 ft and cancel IFR. The request was granted, and I was asked to call center when on the ground. Upon reaching anchorage, I called. A person there said that they only wanted to know why I suddenly descended, and that when they heard 'I'm going down' it started some 'things in action there.' a supervisor was horrified, but the person I talked to said there was no problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C340 PLT AND CREW MEMBER HAD OXYGEN PROBS AT FL250 IN ZAN CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I FLY FOR A COMPANY. WE DO AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. WE WERE AT FL250 IN CLR SKIES PHOTOGRAPHING COLUMBIA GLACIER NEAR VALDEZ, AK. WE WERE ALMOST FINISHED WITH OUR FLT LINE AT WHICH WE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A DSCNT TO LOWER ALTS. THE PERSON OPERATING THE CAMERA SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT HIS OXYGEN MASK HAD COME UNPLUGGED AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS UNPLUGGED. HE STARTED TO PANIC AND POINT DOWN AND I BEGAN A DSCNT. CTR NOTICED THAT WE WERE DSNDING, AND ASKED WHAT WERE OUR INTENTIONS. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO COMMUNICATE, BUT EACH TIME THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ME. WE WERE USING OXYGEN MASK AND MY OXYGEN MASK COVERED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE MIKE WASN'T IN THE BEST POS. BUT, THROUGH OUR BROKEN CONVERSATION, CTR HEARD THE WORDS 'OXYGEN PROB, I'M GOING DOWN,' WHICH WAS SAID, BUT MIXED WITH AN EXPLANATION, AND A REQUEST WHICH I GUESS THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. AFTER I HAD LEVELED OFF AT A LOWER ALT, MAYBE FL210, CTR WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ME CLRLY, ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE EMER. I SAID NO, ASKED WHAT I WANTED TO DO, I SAID DSND TO 17000 FT AND CANCEL IFR. THE REQUEST WAS GRANTED, AND I WAS ASKED TO CALL CTR WHEN ON THE GND. UPON REACHING ANCHORAGE, I CALLED. A PERSON THERE SAID THAT THEY ONLY WANTED TO KNOW WHY I SUDDENLY DSNDED, AND THAT WHEN THEY HEARD 'I'M GOING DOWN' IT STARTED SOME 'THINGS IN ACTION THERE.' A SUPVR WAS HORRIFIED, BUT THE PERSON I TALKED TO SAID THERE WAS NO PROB.

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.