A cabin attendant report on a return land because of the loss of cabin pressure on her MD80 just 30 ...

Attributes
ACN	516268
Time
Date	200106
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 2 flight attendant time total : 2 flight attendant time type : 75
ASRS Report	516268
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : cab 5
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was standing near the aft galley preparing for the beverage/meal service, when another flight attendant remarked that her ears were 'popping' and that it seemed like the aircraft was descending again. I agreed with her that something was odd and I attempted to contact the cockpit by interphone. After receiving no answer, I glanced up the aisle and noticed the #1 flight attendant was standing right in the cockpit door. I started to walk toward the front when I heard the captain come on the PA and say 'ladies and gentlemen, if the oxygen masks drop, do not use them, we will be going a rapid descent.' I proceeded to the front to find out what was going on. I was told we had lost both 'oxygen packs' and had absolutely no aircraft pressurization. The captain said we would be immediately returning to ewr and to prepare the cabin for landing. He said it was not a planned emergency and we were not to complete our checklist. After preparing the cabin, the captain later announced we were 'too heavy' to land and must burn fuel for a while before landing. It was about 45 mins to 1 hour before we landed. All in all, our block time gate-to-gate was about 2 hours. We landed without incident and the flight was canceled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CABIN ATTENDANT RPT ON A RETURN LAND BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE ON HER MD80 JUST 30 MINS AFTER TKOF FROM EWR, NJ.

Narrative: I WAS STANDING NEAR THE AFT GALLEY PREPARING FOR THE BEVERAGE/MEAL SVC, WHEN ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT REMARKED THAT HER EARS WERE 'POPPING' AND THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THE ACFT WAS DSNDING AGAIN. I AGREED WITH HER THAT SOMETHING WAS ODD AND I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE COCKPIT BY INTERPHONE. AFTER RECEIVING NO ANSWER, I GLANCED UP THE AISLE AND NOTICED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS STANDING RIGHT IN THE COCKPIT DOOR. I STARTED TO WALK TOWARD THE FRONT WHEN I HEARD THE CAPT COME ON THE PA AND SAY 'LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF THE OXYGEN MASKS DROP, DO NOT USE THEM, WE WILL BE GOING A RAPID DSCNT.' I PROCEEDED TO THE FRONT TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I WAS TOLD WE HAD LOST BOTH 'OXYGEN PACKS' AND HAD ABSOLUTELY NO ACFT PRESSURIZATION. THE CAPT SAID WE WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY RETURNING TO EWR AND TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG. HE SAID IT WAS NOT A PLANNED EMER AND WE WERE NOT TO COMPLETE OUR CHKLIST. AFTER PREPARING THE CABIN, THE CAPT LATER ANNOUNCED WE WERE 'TOO HVY' TO LAND AND MUST BURN FUEL FOR A WHILE BEFORE LNDG. IT WAS ABOUT 45 MINS TO 1 HR BEFORE WE LANDED. ALL IN ALL, OUR BLOCK TIME GATE-TO-GATE WAS ABOUT 2 HRS. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED.

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.

A cabin attendant report on a return land because of the loss of cabin pressure on her MD80 just 30 mins after takeoff from ewr, nj.