Narrative:

Flight attendant #4 and I (flight attendant #1) were talking at front of aircraft when our ears started to bother us. I was just picking up the interphone to call the pilots when the oxygen masks dropped. We started our procedures for a decompression. I made a PA instructing passenger to remain seated and on the use of the mask. There was a woman passenger in the front lavatory we made sure she was ok. Flight attendants #2 and #4 went from mask to mask throughout the cabin to check on passenger. I was getting calls from the cockpit (and calling them) so I stayed on the interphone. After approximately 5 mins, the captain advised us it was safe to stop using the oxygen and that we were diverting to buf. Several passenger were complaining of ear discomfort. Medical personnel met the flight. #4 flight attendant later suffered from dizziness and almost passed out. All of the flight attendants did an excellent job during (and after) the decompression. We had all just attended recurrent training recently. Supplemental information from acn 565213: flight attendant #1 and I experienced change of pressure in aircraft and had difficulty clearing our ears. Flight attendant #1 was making call to cockpit when oxygen masks dropped. The cabin became very loud with the oxygen flowing and cabin smelled of smoke, which we later found out is the smell of the oxygen running. Elderly woman in first class lavatory needed assistance putting on her mask and I told her to stay there. Passenger in first row of coach were pointing to 7X&Y. When I got to them, their oxygen compartment had not dropped open. Because elderly woman in lavatory had been in 7Z, there were only 2 people in that row so moved 7X&Y over to use the extra masks in row 700Z. There were 2 or 3 passenger who were complaining of severe head pain during our descent to lower altitude during decompression. I went from mask to mask checking on everyone, making sure they were all using their oxygen, because the masks do not inflate, there were quite a few people that complained of their oxygen mask not working, but of course they were. I tried to ease everyone's fears and stayed in the cabin until told by captain to prepare for landing. Time of decompression was probably only 5-10 mins. Flight attendant #1 said she removed her mask away to give passenger and because the roar in the cabin was so loud, passenger were not hearing me through my mask, so I was taking it off long enough to quickly say something. Felt tired after landing and getting everyone taken care of by paramedics. No physical injuries, just head and ear pain. I had inner ear and balance problems go after incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD A CABIN DECOMPRESSION. SOME PAX OXYGEN MASK DOORS DID NOT OPEN.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT #4 AND I (FLT ATTENDANT #1) WERE TALKING AT FRONT OF ACFT WHEN OUR EARS STARTED TO BOTHER US. I WAS JUST PICKING UP THE INTERPHONE TO CALL THE PLTS WHEN THE OXYGEN MASKS DROPPED. WE STARTED OUR PROCS FOR A DECOMPRESSION. I MADE A PA INSTRUCTING PAX TO REMAIN SEATED AND ON THE USE OF THE MASK. THERE WAS A WOMAN PAX IN THE FRONT LAVATORY WE MADE SURE SHE WAS OK. FLT ATTENDANTS #2 AND #4 WENT FROM MASK TO MASK THROUGHOUT THE CABIN TO CHK ON PAX. I WAS GETTING CALLS FROM THE COCKPIT (AND CALLING THEM) SO I STAYED ON THE INTERPHONE. AFTER APPROX 5 MINS, THE CAPT ADVISED US IT WAS SAFE TO STOP USING THE OXYGEN AND THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO BUF. SEVERAL PAX WERE COMPLAINING OF EAR DISCOMFORT. MEDICAL PERSONNEL MET THE FLT. #4 FLT ATTENDANT LATER SUFFERED FROM DIZZINESS AND ALMOST PASSED OUT. ALL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB DURING (AND AFTER) THE DECOMPRESSION. WE HAD ALL JUST ATTENDED RECURRENT TRAINING RECENTLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 565213: FLT ATTENDANT #1 AND I EXPERIENCED CHANGE OF PRESSURE IN ACFT AND HAD DIFFICULTY CLRING OUR EARS. FLT ATTENDANT #1 WAS MAKING CALL TO COCKPIT WHEN OXYGEN MASKS DROPPED. THE CABIN BECAME VERY LOUD WITH THE OXYGEN FLOWING AND CABIN SMELLED OF SMOKE, WHICH WE LATER FOUND OUT IS THE SMELL OF THE OXYGEN RUNNING. ELDERLY WOMAN IN FIRST CLASS LAVATORY NEEDED ASSISTANCE PUTTING ON HER MASK AND I TOLD HER TO STAY THERE. PAX IN FIRST ROW OF COACH WERE POINTING TO 7X&Y. WHEN I GOT TO THEM, THEIR OXYGEN COMPARTMENT HAD NOT DROPPED OPEN. BECAUSE ELDERLY WOMAN IN LAVATORY HAD BEEN IN 7Z, THERE WERE ONLY 2 PEOPLE IN THAT ROW SO MOVED 7X&Y OVER TO USE THE EXTRA MASKS IN ROW 700Z. THERE WERE 2 OR 3 PAX WHO WERE COMPLAINING OF SEVERE HEAD PAIN DURING OUR DSCNT TO LOWER ALT DURING DECOMPRESSION. I WENT FROM MASK TO MASK CHKING ON EVERYONE, MAKING SURE THEY WERE ALL USING THEIR OXYGEN, BECAUSE THE MASKS DO NOT INFLATE, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT COMPLAINED OF THEIR OXYGEN MASK NOT WORKING, BUT OF COURSE THEY WERE. I TRIED TO EASE EVERYONE'S FEARS AND STAYED IN THE CABIN UNTIL TOLD BY CAPT TO PREPARE FOR LNDG. TIME OF DECOMPRESSION WAS PROBABLY ONLY 5-10 MINS. FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID SHE REMOVED HER MASK AWAY TO GIVE PAX AND BECAUSE THE ROAR IN THE CABIN WAS SO LOUD, PAX WERE NOT HEARING ME THROUGH MY MASK, SO I WAS TAKING IT OFF LONG ENOUGH TO QUICKLY SAY SOMETHING. FELT TIRED AFTER LNDG AND GETTING EVERYONE TAKEN CARE OF BY PARAMEDICS. NO PHYSICAL INJURIES, JUST HEAD AND EAR PAIN. I HAD INNER EAR AND BAL PROBS GO AFTER INCIDENT.

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.