<< >> NASA ASRS Report 725008, January 2007

MD80 crew reports pack failure at FL370 necessitating an emergency descent with passenger oxygen masks deployed.

Attributes
ACN	725008
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	725008
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	725163
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

In ZZZ ARTCC airspace; FL370; prior to normal descent; cabin began to climb rapidly with indications of no flow from the right pack. Asked for lower altitude; emergency declared. Initiated emergency descent. Passenger oxygen masks dropped and used. Left pack indicated flow; but no evidence of any pressurization. Normal landing at ZZZ. No reports of injuries to passenger or crew. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he felt the cabin pressure change and started down before any warnings sounded. Once established in the descent the cabin altitude warning horn sounded and the right pack showed no flow. The left pack continued to show flow but was unable to bring the cabin below 10000 feet until the aircraft was passing 14000 feet. The reporter did not find out what caused the packs to fail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW REPORTS PACK FAILURE AT FL370 NECESSITATING AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WITH PAX OXYGEN MASKS DEPLOYED.

Narrative: IN ZZZ ARTCC AIRSPACE; FL370; PRIOR TO NORMAL DSCNT; CABIN BEGAN TO CLB RAPIDLY WITH INDICATIONS OF NO FLOW FROM THE R PACK. ASKED FOR LOWER ALT; EMER DECLARED. INITIATED EMER DSCNT. PAX OXYGEN MASKS DROPPED AND USED. L PACK INDICATED FLOW; BUT NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PRESSURIZATION. NORMAL LNDG AT ZZZ. NO RPTS OF INJURIES TO PAX OR CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT HE FELT THE CABIN PRESSURE CHANGE AND STARTED DOWN BEFORE ANY WARNINGS SOUNDED. ONCE ESTABLISHED IN THE DESCENT THE CABIN ALTITUDE WARNING HORN SOUNDED AND THE RIGHT PACK SHOWED NO FLOW. THE LEFT PACK CONTINUED TO SHOW FLOW BUT WAS UNABLE TO BRING THE CABIN BELOW 10000 FEET UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS PASSING 14000 FEET. THE REPORTER DID NOT FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE PACKS TO FAIL.

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.