Narrative:

In level cruise at FL340 at approximately XA20Z; the cabin altitude warning horn sounded. The cabin altitude was at 10000 ft and climbing at a rate of 500 FPM. The automatic fail light on the press controller was illuminated. We initiated the cabin altitude/warning horn memory items; donned our oxygen masks and qrc steps. We requested a lower altitude from center and began a rapid descent. Center first cleared us to FL180; then 13000 ft. We requested and received 10000 ft and were cleared direct. We leveled at 10000 ft approximately 150 miles east of anc. We notified dispatch and continued to anc at 10000 ft. We ran the autofail/unscheduled press checklist and found the standby controller would not control the pressurization either. The cabin altitude was the same as our airplane altitude (10000 ft). Since we would be soon landing in anc; we continued with the controller in standby and ran the descent and approach checklists. We elected not to declare an emergency because there were no passenger or crew injuries; the cabin pressure was not critical; and since we were close to anc; fuel; terrain; and WX were not critical issues. Since we were quickly approaching anc; we did not attempt to pressurize using manual control and made a normal descent; approach; and landing. The passenger oxygen masks did not deploy. The highest observed cabin altitude was approximately 13750 ft before the cabin descended again with the airplane's descent. The flight attendants reported most passenger were sleeping and did not notice our descent. There was no adverse passenger reaction. We landed at XB10Z. In 2004; recurrent loft training scenario was a rapid depressurization. This event was very similar to that training event and I feel made a positive impact on our reaction to the cabin altitude warning horn and subsequent reactions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 EXPERIENCED A CABIN PRESSURE LOSS DUE TO A CTLR FAILURE. A RAPID DSCNT WAS FOLLOWED BY A FLT TO DEST AT 10000 FT. NO EMER WAS DECLARED.

Narrative: IN LEVEL CRUISE AT FL340 AT APPROX XA20Z; THE CABIN ALT WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE CABIN ALT WAS AT 10000 FT AND CLBING AT A RATE OF 500 FPM. THE AUTO FAIL LIGHT ON THE PRESS CTLR WAS ILLUMINATED. WE INITIATED THE CABIN ALT/WARNING HORN MEMORY ITEMS; DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND QRC STEPS. WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT FROM CTR AND BEGAN A RAPID DSCNT. CTR FIRST CLRED US TO FL180; THEN 13000 FT. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED 10000 FT AND WERE CLRED DIRECT. WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT APPROX 150 MILES E OF ANC. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND CONTINUED TO ANC AT 10000 FT. WE RAN THE AUTOFAIL/UNSCHEDULED PRESS CHKLIST AND FOUND THE STANDBY CTLR WOULD NOT CTL THE PRESSURIZATION EITHER. THE CABIN ALT WAS THE SAME AS OUR AIRPLANE ALT (10000 FT). SINCE WE WOULD BE SOON LNDG IN ANC; WE CONTINUED WITH THE CTLR IN STANDBY AND RAN THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS. WE ELECTED NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PAX OR CREW INJURIES; THE CABIN PRESSURE WAS NOT CRITICAL; AND SINCE WE WERE CLOSE TO ANC; FUEL; TERRAIN; AND WX WERE NOT CRITICAL ISSUES. SINCE WE WERE QUICKLY APCHING ANC; WE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO PRESSURIZE USING MANUAL CTL AND MADE A NORMAL DSCNT; APCH; AND LNDG. THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE HIGHEST OBSERVED CABIN ALT WAS APPROX 13750 FT BEFORE THE CABIN DSNDED AGAIN WITH THE AIRPLANE'S DSCNT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED MOST PAX WERE SLEEPING AND DID NOT NOTICE OUR DSCNT. THERE WAS NO ADVERSE PAX REACTION. WE LANDED AT XB10Z. IN 2004; RECURRENT LOFT TRAINING SCENARIO WAS A RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION. THIS EVENT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT TRAINING EVENT AND I FEEL MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR REACTION TO THE CABIN ALT WARNING HORN AND SUBSEQUENT REACTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.