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Emergency descent initiated by the flight crew of a C501 when the door seal blew at 17000 ft with a diversion to lgb, ca.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 573938 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200302 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : pxn.vortac |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation I/SP |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 573938 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Picked up 2 passenger at mod. Climbing out of 17000 ft, the door seal blew causing decompression. Emergency procedures were followed. After putting on oxygen and descending, we decided to land at nearest suitable airport, lgb. At lgb, citation maintenance idented the problem as a failed pressure regulator for the door seal. This regulator is not life limited, nor is it checked during the various phase inspections. Cessna might consider limiting the regulator's life. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was called to determine if any agency had been contacted regarding this failure. The PIC had talked with the maintenance personnel at the manufacturer's plant. They said that this incident was such an isolated case that there was not a concern about having to place a 'life limit' on the pressure regulator. This was a very rare case wherein the diaphragm associated with the regulator/seal system was stuck in the partially open position, thereby not allowing full pressurization of the door seals around the entrance door. The seals were subject to internal as well as external pressures and were torn off the track housing, allowing the rapid decompression. It was not viewed as a failure of the pressure regulator itself.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMER DSCNT INITIATED BY THE FLT CREW OF A C501 WHEN THE DOOR SEAL BLEW AT 17000 FT WITH A DIVERSION TO LGB, CA.
Narrative: PICKED UP 2 PAX AT MOD. CLBING OUT OF 17000 FT, THE DOOR SEAL BLEW CAUSING DECOMPRESSION. EMER PROCS WERE FOLLOWED. AFTER PUTTING ON OXYGEN AND DSNDING, WE DECIDED TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, LGB. AT LGB, CITATION MAINT IDENTED THE PROB AS A FAILED PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR THE DOOR SEAL. THIS REGULATOR IS NOT LIFE LIMITED, NOR IS IT CHKED DURING THE VARIOUS PHASE INSPECTIONS. CESSNA MIGHT CONSIDER LIMITING THE REGULATOR'S LIFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS CALLED TO DETERMINE IF ANY AGENCY HAD BEEN CONTACTED REGARDING THIS FAILURE. THE PIC HAD TALKED WITH THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE MANUFACTURER'S PLANT. THEY SAID THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS SUCH AN ISOLATED CASE THAT THERE WAS NOT A CONCERN ABOUT HAVING TO PLACE A 'LIFE LIMIT' ON THE PRESSURE REGULATOR. THIS WAS A VERY RARE CASE WHEREIN THE DIAPHRAGM ASSOCIATED WITH THE REGULATOR/SEAL SYS WAS STUCK IN THE PARTIALLY OPEN POS, THEREBY NOT ALLOWING FULL PRESSURIZATION OF THE DOOR SEALS AROUND THE ENTRANCE DOOR. THE SEALS WERE SUBJECT TO INTERNAL AS WELL AS EXTERNAL PRESSURES AND WERE TORN OFF THE TRACK HOUSING, ALLOWING THE RAPID DECOMPRESSION. IT WAS NOT VIEWED AS A FAILURE OF THE PRESSURE REGULATOR ITSELF.
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.