Narrative:

About 30 mins after takeoff, the plane hit turbulence, then we began a continual, gradual descent. After a few mins, a very short announcement was made, but it was too muffled for any of the 5 flight attendants in the back of the plane to understand it. 1 flight attendant made a call to the front of the plane. A few seconds later, I overheard a flight attendant say we were going through a decompression and we should be on oxygen. Since the oxygen masks did not drop from the ceiling, I opened the 4R storage space for the oxygen bottle. However, the compartment was too dark to find the bracket release. I fumbled around in the dark compartment for the bracket release for several mins before deciding to hold the mask up to my face and leave the oxygen bottle in its brackets. Also, because of the turbulence, I tried sitting in my jumpseat, but the tubing would not reach from the storage compartment to my jumpseat. Sometimes PA's from cockpit are muffled. PA system needs to be fixed so that announcements from pilots are always clear. In emergency procedures training, we need practice locating ground operating emergency equipment in total darkness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE CAPT'S PA AND BELATEDLY FOUND OUT THAT THE ACFT WAS IN AN EMER DSCNT DURING A FLT FROM JFK TO MIA, DUE TO DEPRESSURIZATION.

Narrative: ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER TKOF, THE PLANE HIT TURB, THEN WE BEGAN A CONTINUAL, GRADUAL DSCNT. AFTER A FEW MINS, A VERY SHORT ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE, BUT IT WAS TOO MUFFLED FOR ANY OF THE 5 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE TO UNDERSTAND IT. 1 FLT ATTENDANT MADE A CALL TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I OVERHEARD A FLT ATTENDANT SAY WE WERE GOING THROUGH A DECOMPRESSION AND WE SHOULD BE ON OXYGEN. SINCE THE OXYGEN MASKS DID NOT DROP FROM THE CEILING, I OPENED THE 4R STORAGE SPACE FOR THE OXYGEN BOTTLE. HOWEVER, THE COMPARTMENT WAS TOO DARK TO FIND THE BRACKET RELEASE. I FUMBLED AROUND IN THE DARK COMPARTMENT FOR THE BRACKET RELEASE FOR SEVERAL MINS BEFORE DECIDING TO HOLD THE MASK UP TO MY FACE AND LEAVE THE OXYGEN BOTTLE IN ITS BRACKETS. ALSO, BECAUSE OF THE TURB, I TRIED SITTING IN MY JUMPSEAT, BUT THE TUBING WOULD NOT REACH FROM THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT TO MY JUMPSEAT. SOMETIMES PA'S FROM COCKPIT ARE MUFFLED. PA SYS NEEDS TO BE FIXED SO THAT ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM PLTS ARE ALWAYS CLR. IN EMER PROCS TRAINING, WE NEED PRACTICE LOCATING GND OPERATING EMER EQUIP IN TOTAL DARKNESS.

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.