Narrative:

Declared an emergency due to a loss of cabin pressure. Crew suspected, but could not confirm, a possible bleed leak/fire due to events preceeding loss of cabin pressure. Requested dir to las and was denied twice. I firmly reminded ATC that we were in an emergency situation and I wanted the aircraft on the ground as soon as possible, ATC then complied. Initially ATC wanted to vector us about 90 mi to the east of military airspace north of nellis AFB. ATC was advised of pressurization problem. However, crew did not and should not have to explain logic in requests during an emergency. It will only add to the workload in an already busy 2-M cockpit. I did not have time to explain the air conditioning system of the medium large transport, why the crew thought there was a possibility of fire. I did have the time to give ATC known facts of what was occurring aboard the aircraft. My first concern is my passenger and aircraft not explaining why we needed the most expeditious route to las. ATC should never second guess the pilot during an emergency. I felt the controller was thinking it was only a press problem, so it would be ok to vector us clear of military airspace. In an emergency any request must be complied with. That is the purpose of declaring an emergency in the first place.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HAD DECOMPRESSION, DECLARED EMERGENCY, AND WAS NOT HAPPY WITH ARTCC CTLR RESPONSE TO EXPEDITE TO LNDG.

Narrative: DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO A LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE. CREW SUSPECTED, BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM, A POSSIBLE BLEED LEAK/FIRE DUE TO EVENTS PRECEEDING LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE. REQUESTED DIR TO LAS AND WAS DENIED TWICE. I FIRMLY REMINDED ATC THAT WE WERE IN AN EMER SITUATION AND I WANTED THE ACFT ON THE GND ASAP, ATC THEN COMPLIED. INITIALLY ATC WANTED TO VECTOR US ABOUT 90 MI TO THE E OF MIL AIRSPACE N OF NELLIS AFB. ATC WAS ADVISED OF PRESSURIZATION PROB. HOWEVER, CREW DID NOT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN LOGIC IN REQUESTS DURING AN EMER. IT WILL ONLY ADD TO THE WORKLOAD IN AN ALREADY BUSY 2-M COCKPIT. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS OF THE MLG, WHY THE CREW THOUGHT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. I DID HAVE THE TIME TO GIVE ATC KNOWN FACTS OF WHAT WAS OCCURRING ABOARD THE ACFT. MY FIRST CONCERN IS MY PAX AND ACFT NOT EXPLAINING WHY WE NEEDED THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS ROUTE TO LAS. ATC SHOULD NEVER SECOND GUESS THE PLT DURING AN EMER. I FELT THE CTLR WAS THINKING IT WAS ONLY A PRESS PROB, SO IT WOULD BE OK TO VECTOR US CLR OF MIL AIRSPACE. IN AN EMER ANY REQUEST MUST BE COMPLIED WITH. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DECLARING AN EMER IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.