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A C750 crew, in cruise at FL410, experienced a loss of cabin pressure due to a leaking baggage door, a landing was made at nearby jax.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 559196 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200209 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jax.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 41000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation X |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : phl.tower |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 290 |
| ASRS Report | 559196 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : baggage door open alert eicas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
In cruise, VMC FL410, first officer flying, baggage door open alert illuminated on EICAS. Very unusual, baggage door was verified closed and locked prior to engine start. Suspected bad micro switch. While discussing problem, prior to reading checklist, baggage altitude light illuminated and cabin altitude climbed rapidly at full scale on gauge. We donned oxygen masks, established crew communications, declared emergency and performed emergency descent procedure and were vectored to and landed visually on runway 7 at jax. We suspect ruptured door seal -- emergency descent loss of pressure checklists not read (no time) but all items performed. With a 2 man crew (no passenger) this was a ferry flight to gso. There was no time to perform the procedure, talk to ATC, and read the checklists. They are required memory items in our fleet. Moreover, at night, with oxygen masks on reading the checklist would have compromised safety and flying the aircraft (cockpit lights on and trying to see out). Below 10000 ft, with masks off, descent, approach, and before landing checklists were performed and landing was without incident. The initial fault (baggage door open) without a baggage seal light warning was misleading and led us to take time wondering about a micro switch problem (common in other areas) before getting the abnormal checklist out. There is a baggage door open procedure that might have allowed us to isolate that compartment and negate the need for a rapid descent due to a depressurization ie, you do not get a real baggage door open at mach .90 and FL410 with just a light on the panel. The seal light should have illuminated either prior to or concurrent with the door open light. This gives the crew fair warning. Maintenance is working on this as I write.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C750 CREW, IN CRUISE AT FL410, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE DUE TO A LEAKING BAGGAGE DOOR, A LNDG WAS MADE AT NEARBY JAX.
Narrative: IN CRUISE, VMC FL410, FO FLYING, BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN ALERT ILLUMINATED ON EICAS. VERY UNUSUAL, BAGGAGE DOOR WAS VERIFIED CLOSED AND LOCKED PRIOR TO ENG START. SUSPECTED BAD MICRO SWITCH. WHILE DISCUSSING PROB, PRIOR TO READING CHKLIST, BAGGAGE ALT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND CABIN ALT CLBED RAPIDLY AT FULL SCALE ON GAUGE. WE DONNED OXYGEN MASKS, ESTABLISHED CREW COMS, DECLARED EMER AND PERFORMED EMER DSCNT PROC AND WERE VECTORED TO AND LANDED VISUALLY ON RWY 7 AT JAX. WE SUSPECT RUPTURED DOOR SEAL -- EMER DSCNT LOSS OF PRESSURE CHKLISTS NOT READ (NO TIME) BUT ALL ITEMS PERFORMED. WITH A 2 MAN CREW (NO PAX) THIS WAS A FERRY FLT TO GSO. THERE WAS NO TIME TO PERFORM THE PROC, TALK TO ATC, AND READ THE CHKLISTS. THEY ARE REQUIRED MEMORY ITEMS IN OUR FLEET. MOREOVER, AT NIGHT, WITH OXYGEN MASKS ON READING THE CHKLIST WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED SAFETY AND FLYING THE ACFT (COCKPIT LIGHTS ON AND TRYING TO SEE OUT). BELOW 10000 FT, WITH MASKS OFF, DSCNT, APCH, AND BEFORE LNDG CHKLISTS WERE PERFORMED AND LNDG WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE INITIAL FAULT (BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN) WITHOUT A BAGGAGE SEAL LIGHT WARNING WAS MISLEADING AND LED US TO TAKE TIME WONDERING ABOUT A MICRO SWITCH PROB (COMMON IN OTHER AREAS) BEFORE GETTING THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST OUT. THERE IS A BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN PROC THAT MIGHT HAVE ALLOWED US TO ISOLATE THAT COMPARTMENT AND NEGATE THE NEED FOR A RAPID DSCNT DUE TO A DEPRESSURIZATION IE, YOU DO NOT GET A REAL BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN AT MACH .90 AND FL410 WITH JUST A LIGHT ON THE PANEL. THE SEAL LIGHT SHOULD HAVE ILLUMINATED EITHER PRIOR TO OR CONCURRENT WITH THE DOOR OPEN LIGHT. THIS GIVES THE CREW FAIR WARNING. MAINT IS WORKING ON THIS AS I WRITE.
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.