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A300 crew was dispatched with an inoperative right pack. After reaching cruise they were unable to control the cabin temperature, and made an emergency descent after losing cabin pressurization.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 594329 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Mon |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mia.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl single value : 31000 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zma.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 594329 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 594332 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam cabin alt cabin temp other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Loss of pressurization and cabin temperature. Flight departed with right air conditioning pack and cabin mid fans placarded inoperative. In-flight unable to get cabin cooled below 88-90 degrees F. Flight attendants reported very low airflow and circulation. Contacted dispatch with advisory that return to mia might be necessary. Dispatch patched maintenance controller to help diagnose problem. During discussion at FL310 cabin altitude warning sounded. ECAM indicated cabin at 9800 ft and climbing. An emergency was declared and a rapid descent was initiated to 8000 ft MSL. Crew was unable to regain control of pressurization using alternative pressure controller and manual pressurization. Other than need to make expeditious descent below 10000 ft, ATC was advised that priority handling was not necessary. Flight returned to mia and landed without further incident. Crew and passenger changed aircraft and re-departed approximately 2 hours later.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A300 CREW WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN INOP R PACK. AFTER REACHING CRUISE THEY WERE UNABLE TO CTL THE CABIN TEMP, AND MADE AN EMER DSCNT AFTER LOSING CABIN PRESSURIZATION.
Narrative: LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION AND CABIN TEMP. FLT DEPARTED WITH R AIR CONDITIONING PACK AND CABIN MID FANS PLACARDED INOP. INFLT UNABLE TO GET CABIN COOLED BELOW 88-90 DEGS F. FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED VERY LOW AIRFLOW AND CIRCULATION. CONTACTED DISPATCH WITH ADVISORY THAT RETURN TO MIA MIGHT BE NECESSARY. DISPATCH PATCHED MAINT CTLR TO HELP DIAGNOSE PROB. DURING DISCUSSION AT FL310 CABIN ALT WARNING SOUNDED. ECAM INDICATED CABIN AT 9800 FT AND CLBING. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND A RAPID DSCNT WAS INITIATED TO 8000 FT MSL. CREW WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CTL OF PRESSURIZATION USING ALTERNATIVE PRESSURE CTLR AND MANUAL PRESSURIZATION. OTHER THAN NEED TO MAKE EXPEDITIOUS DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT, ATC WAS ADVISED THAT PRIORITY HANDLING WAS NOT NECESSARY. FLT RETURNED TO MIA AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CREW AND PAX CHANGED ACFT AND RE-DEPARTED APPROX 2 HRS LATER.
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.