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Flight crew of air carrier large transport unable to control pressurization climbing through FL305 requested clearance for lower altitude and made rapid descent to 10000' then diverted to alternate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 87585 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198805 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ape |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 30500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 237 |
| ASRS Report | 87585 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 8640 flight time type : 1600 |
| ASRS Report | 87251 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Rapid depressurization in-flight. On climb out from ord/phl aircraft began to lose pressurization. Rapid depressurization checklist was performed. Cabin pressure could not be controled. At 10000' cabin altitude the explosive depressurization checklist was performed. We diverted to dtw. Remainder of flight was uneventful. Post-flight inspection revealed crack in cabin in wheel well area. Recommend fleet wide inspection to prevent recurrence. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: this aircraft had previous maintenance log write ups about pressurization problems, but maintenance was unable to duplicate the problem on the ground. The FAA has issued 2 ads concerning possible cracks in the right wing area and apparently the cracks in this aircraft were getting progressively worse. Cabin pressure was lost in about 10 seconds and the masks dropped. Aircraft log did not indicate any hard lndgs and reporter thinks the problem is aircraft age.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW OF ACR LGT UNABLE TO CTL PRESSURIZATION CLIMBING THROUGH FL305 REQUESTED CLRNC FOR LOWER ALT AND MADE RAPID DESCENT TO 10000' THEN DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE.
Narrative: RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION INFLT. ON CLBOUT FROM ORD/PHL ACFT BEGAN TO LOSE PRESSURIZATION. RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION CHKLIST WAS PERFORMED. CABIN PRESSURE COULD NOT BE CTLED. AT 10000' CABIN ALT THE EXPLOSIVE DEPRESSURIZATION CHKLIST WAS PERFORMED. WE DIVERTED TO DTW. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED CRACK IN CABIN IN WHEEL WELL AREA. RECOMMEND FLEET WIDE INSPECTION TO PREVENT RECURRENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THIS ACFT HAD PREVIOUS MAINT LOG WRITE UPS ABOUT PRESSURIZATION PROBS, BUT MAINT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROB ON THE GND. THE FAA HAS ISSUED 2 ADS CONCERNING POSSIBLE CRACKS IN THE RIGHT WING AREA AND APPARENTLY THE CRACKS IN THIS ACFT WERE GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. CABIN PRESSURE WAS LOST IN ABOUT 10 SECS AND THE MASKS DROPPED. ACFT LOG DID NOT INDICATE ANY HARD LNDGS AND RPTR THINKS THE PROB IS ACFT AGE.
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.