CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; A300; MIA-SDQ. EMER DECOMPRESSION. RETURN TO MIA.

Narrative

AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALT AND STARTING THE BEVERAGE/MEAL SVC; THE PURSER MADE A PA FOR FLT ATTENDANTS TO PUT THE CARTS AWAY; THE ENGS THROTTLED DOWN; AND WE HAD A SUDDEN NOSE LOW-TAIL HIGH ATTITUDE; INDICATING A SUDDEN DSCNT. AS WE BEGAN THE DSCNT; ALL OF THE OXYGEN COMPARTMENTS OPENED. WE ALL IMMEDIATELY DONNED OXYGEN MASKS; ASSISTED PAX; AND REMAINED ON OXYGEN UNTIL THE CAPT ADVISED US THAT WE WERE AT 10000 FT. AFTER REACHING 10000 FT; WE ASSISTED PAX AS NEEDED; CLEANED AND CLRED AWAY ALL SVC ITEMS AND PREPARED THE CABIN FOR LNDG BACK IN MIA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY HAD HAD A MECHANICAL DELAY ON THE GND WITH REGARDS TO THE AVIONICS COMPARTMENT BENEATH THE COCKPIT; WHERE THE VALVES FOR RECIRCULATING AIR ARE FOUND. ONE OF THE VALVES KEPT POPPING; BUT EVENTUALLY; THE MECHS DID A TEST RUN; AND IT WORKED. ONCE AIRBORNE; IT HAPPENED AGAIN. ACCORDING TO THE CAPT; THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK; CAUSING A SLOW DECOMPRESSION. THE CAPT DECIDED TO ACTIVATE THE CABIN OXYGEN MASKS; BECAUSE THE WARNING BELLS AND INSTS SHOWED THAT THE CABIN PRESSURE WAS CLBING ABOVE 10000 FT. ONCE THEY REACHED 10000 FT IN THEIR RAPID DSCNT; THE CAPT TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD HAD A DECOMPRESSION AND COULD TAKE OFF THEIR MASKS; AND THAT THEY WERE RETURNING TO MIAMI. DURING THE DECOMPRESSION; SOME OF THE OXYGEN COMPARTMENTS DIDN'T OPEN; BUT FORTUNATELY THEY WEREN'T FULL; SO THEY COULD USE MASKS FROM ALTERNATE ROWS; BECAUSE THE MASK'S HOSES EXTENDED UP TO 3 ROWS FORWARD OR BACK. AFTER LEVELING TO 10000 FT; CREW CHKED THE LAVATORIES; BUT FORTUNATELY NO ONE HAD BEEN IN THEM; BUT ALL THE MASKS HAD DEPLOYED. ONE WOMAN BECAME 'CHALKY;' SO THEY HAD PARAMEDICS MEET THE ACFT. THIS WOMAN COLLAPSED ON THE PURSER LOADING HER INTO THE WHEELCHAIR; INJURING THE PURSER. THE CREW DEBRIEFED WITH THE FLT SVC MGR IN MIAMI; WHO COMMENDED THE CREW FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM; THUS PREVENTING PANIC AMONG THE PAX.