Narrative:

We experienced a rapid depressurization as described in the attached report given to the company. The event was dealt with fine. However, due to added and unusual events we forgot to add a notation in the aircraft maintenance log. I feel a checklist could be helpful for a post incident situation to remind a flight crew of all the paperwork and reports that need to get filled out. We were doing our normal duties, some of the flight attendant's duties, maintenance functions, as well as caring for passenger and a sick (hurt) flight attendant. We just forgot about the aml. I heard a fairly loud pop type of sound followed by a rushing of air. Captain immediately asked ATC for lower indicating to them we had a pressurization problem. The cabin rate quickly increased to a maximum of approximately 4700 FPM and we received the cabin altitude caution message which was shortly followed by the warning. We both donned our oxygen masks and re-established communication. Captain then declared an emergency and requested 10000 ft. Captain then initiated communication with the flight attendant. It was determined the aircraft structure and hatches were not compromised. At that time I increased the descent to the barber pole at idle with full flight spoilers (engine idle and flight spoilers had been established previously). Apparently flight attendant was having a very difficult time hearing and was spatially disoriented due to the rapid cabin rate of climb along with the extremely loud noise near her seat. This concerned captain and he monitored her frequently through the remainder of the flight. Flight attendant indicated the noise was coming from the galley service door seal area and that the door was intact. The highest I saw the cabin altitude was 12700 ft which quickly was restored to 12500 ft and maintained until we passed through that altitude. When we leveled at 10000 ft, the cabin did begin to repressurize slowly at a rate fluctuating between 200-400 FPM. Through communication with maintenance control and dispatch it was agreed to continue the flight to our original destination at 10000 ft. After captain and I both looked at the galley door seal area, a phone call was made to maintenance control. We found no visible evidence of any problem. This did not surprise maintenance at all. Apparently this particular seal can be 'pinched' during door closure creating a weak area. In this situation the seal can pop out of its seat and allow a breach. After cabin differential pressure is brought to zero, the seal is then allowed to reseat and life goes on as normal. Captain talked about the reports that would need to be written and indicated he was going to wait until he got back to ZZZ the next day so as to be able to write and submit them electronically. It has been brought to my attention that a discrepancy was not included in the aml. Based on captain's behavior, I can only guess that because of his concern for flight attendant's condition along with making sure all the passenger were alright, then followed by looking at the aircraft and galley door only to be followed yet further by talking to maintenance, the aml just plain was forgotten about.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER SUCCESSFULLY HANDLING A DEPRESSURIZATION AT FL330 THAT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A DOOR SEAL PROB, A CL65 CREW NOTES THE NEXT DAY THAT THEY DID NOT PUT A DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG.

Narrative: WE EXPERIENCED A RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION AS DESCRIBED IN THE ATTACHED RPT GIVEN TO THE COMPANY. THE EVENT WAS DEALT WITH FINE. HOWEVER, DUE TO ADDED AND UNUSUAL EVENTS WE FORGOT TO ADD A NOTATION IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. I FEEL A CHKLIST COULD BE HELPFUL FOR A POST INCIDENT SIT TO REMIND A FLT CREW OF ALL THE PAPERWORK AND RPTS THAT NEED TO GET FILLED OUT. WE WERE DOING OUR NORMAL DUTIES, SOME OF THE FLT ATTENDANT'S DUTIES, MAINT FUNCTIONS, AS WELL AS CARING FOR PAX AND A SICK (HURT) FLT ATTENDANT. WE JUST FORGOT ABOUT THE AML. I HEARD A FAIRLY LOUD POP TYPE OF SOUND FOLLOWED BY A RUSHING OF AIR. CAPT IMMEDIATELY ASKED ATC FOR LOWER INDICATING TO THEM WE HAD A PRESSURIZATION PROB. THE CABIN RATE QUICKLY INCREASED TO A MAX OF APPROX 4700 FPM AND WE RECEIVED THE CABIN ALT CAUTION MESSAGE WHICH WAS SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY THE WARNING. WE BOTH DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND RE-ESTABLISHED COM. CAPT THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED 10000 FT. CAPT THEN INITIATED COM WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT. IT WAS DETERMINED THE ACFT STRUCTURE AND HATCHES WERE NOT COMPROMISED. AT THAT TIME I INCREASED THE DSCNT TO THE BARBER POLE AT IDLE WITH FULL FLT SPOILERS (ENG IDLE AND FLT SPOILERS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED PREVIOUSLY). APPARENTLY FLT ATTENDANT WAS HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME HEARING AND WAS SPATIALLY DISORIENTED DUE TO THE RAPID CABIN RATE OF CLB ALONG WITH THE EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE NEAR HER SEAT. THIS CONCERNED CAPT AND HE MONITORED HER FREQUENTLY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE GALLEY SVC DOOR SEAL AREA AND THAT THE DOOR WAS INTACT. THE HIGHEST I SAW THE CABIN ALT WAS 12700 FT WHICH QUICKLY WAS RESTORED TO 12500 FT AND MAINTAINED UNTIL WE PASSED THROUGH THAT ALT. WHEN WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT, THE CABIN DID BEGIN TO REPRESSURIZE SLOWLY AT A RATE FLUCTUATING BTWN 200-400 FPM. THROUGH COM WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH IT WAS AGREED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST AT 10000 FT. AFTER CAPT AND I BOTH LOOKED AT THE GALLEY DOOR SEAL AREA, A PHONE CALL WAS MADE TO MAINT CTL. WE FOUND NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF ANY PROB. THIS DID NOT SURPRISE MAINT AT ALL. APPARENTLY THIS PARTICULAR SEAL CAN BE 'PINCHED' DURING DOOR CLOSURE CREATING A WEAK AREA. IN THIS SIT THE SEAL CAN POP OUT OF ITS SEAT AND ALLOW A BREACH. AFTER CABIN DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE IS BROUGHT TO ZERO, THE SEAL IS THEN ALLOWED TO RESEAT AND LIFE GOES ON AS NORMAL. CAPT TALKED ABOUT THE RPTS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE WRITTEN AND INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO WAIT UNTIL HE GOT BACK TO ZZZ THE NEXT DAY SO AS TO BE ABLE TO WRITE AND SUBMIT THEM ELECTRONICALLY. IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT A DISCREPANCY WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE AML. BASED ON CAPT'S BEHAVIOR, I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN FOR FLT ATTENDANT'S CONDITION ALONG WITH MAKING SURE ALL THE PAX WERE ALRIGHT, THEN FOLLOWED BY LOOKING AT THE ACFT AND GALLEY DOOR ONLY TO BE FOLLOWED YET FURTHER BY TALKING TO MAINT, THE AML JUST PLAIN WAS FORGOTTEN ABOUT.

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.