Narrative:

Aircraft was at FL280 when we received a cabin altitude caution message. The first officer and I donned our oxygen masks and requested a lower altitude from ZDC. Center told us to switch to ZID. We did this and got a clearance to FL180. We now received a cabin altitude warning message. The aircraft was on a ferry permit to return to maintenance base, therefore, we only had the 2 pilots and 1 flight attendant on board. She donned her oxygen seeing/hearing us do the same. We were further cleared to 10000 ft by ZID. We could detect no structural damage and after consulting our maintenance and dispatch offices, elected to continue to our maintenance base. All crew and office/maintenance personnel being in agreement that it was safe to do so, we landed without further complications. Maintenance found a crack/rupture in duct work of an acm. Contributing factors are crew ferrying aircraft after chief pilot conversation, adding stress to the situation. Company not certain that crew should have written aircraft up at an outstation. It was our first leg of day 2 on a 4 day trip, so we had our first preflight at the outstation. Some stress added due to the fact of possible disciplinary action upon our return. Crew found a discrepancy during preflight and communicated this to maintenance control. They decided that it was not good for revenue service, and checked to have crew ferry aircraft home.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW HAD A CABIN DECOMPRESSION AT FL280.

Narrative: ACFT WAS AT FL280 WHEN WE RECEIVED A CABIN ALT CAUTION MESSAGE. THE FO AND I DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALT FROM ZDC. CTR TOLD US TO SWITCH TO ZID. WE DID THIS AND GOT A CLRNC TO FL180. WE NOW RECEIVED A CABIN ALT WARNING MESSAGE. THE ACFT WAS ON A FERRY PERMIT TO RETURN TO MAINT BASE, THEREFORE, WE ONLY HAD THE 2 PLTS AND 1 FLT ATTENDANT ON BOARD. SHE DONNED HER OXYGEN SEEING/HEARING US DO THE SAME. WE WERE FURTHER CLRED TO 10000 FT BY ZID. WE COULD DETECT NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND AFTER CONSULTING OUR MAINT AND DISPATCH OFFICES, ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO OUR MAINT BASE. ALL CREW AND OFFICE/MAINT PERSONNEL BEING IN AGREEMENT THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO, WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. MAINT FOUND A CRACK/RUPTURE IN DUCT WORK OF AN ACM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE CREW FERRYING ACFT AFTER CHIEF PLT CONVERSATION, ADDING STRESS TO THE SIT. COMPANY NOT CERTAIN THAT CREW SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN ACFT UP AT AN OUTSTATION. IT WAS OUR FIRST LEG OF DAY 2 ON A 4 DAY TRIP, SO WE HAD OUR FIRST PREFLT AT THE OUTSTATION. SOME STRESS ADDED DUE TO THE FACT OF POSSIBLE DISCIPLINARY ACTION UPON OUR RETURN. CREW FOUND A DISCREPANCY DURING PREFLT AND COMMUNICATED THIS TO MAINT CTL. THEY DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT GOOD FOR REVENUE SVC, AND CHKED TO HAVE CREW FERRY ACFT HOME.

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.