C340 PLT AND CREW MEMBER HAD OXYGEN PROBS AT FL250 IN ZAN CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Date: 2000-09 · Aircraft: Skynight 320 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-crew-oz-prob-com-prob

Synopsis

C340 PLT AND CREW MEMBER HAD OXYGEN PROBS AT FL250 IN ZAN CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative

I FLY FOR A COMPANY. WE DO AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. WE WERE AT FL250 IN CLR SKIES PHOTOGRAPHING COLUMBIA GLACIER NEAR VALDEZ; AK. WE WERE ALMOST FINISHED WITH OUR FLT LINE AT WHICH WE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A DSCNT TO LOWER ALTS. THE PERSON OPERATING THE CAMERA SUDDENLY NOTICED THAT HIS OXYGEN MASK HAD COME UNPLUGGED AND HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS UNPLUGGED. HE STARTED TO PANIC AND POINT DOWN AND I BEGAN A DSCNT. CTR NOTICED THAT WE WERE DSNDING; AND ASKED WHAT WERE OUR INTENTIONS. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO COMMUNICATE; BUT EACH TIME THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ME. WE WERE USING OXYGEN MASK AND MY OXYGEN MASK COVERED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE MIKE WASN'T IN THE BEST POS. BUT; THROUGH OUR BROKEN CONVERSATION; CTR HEARD THE WORDS 'OXYGEN PROB; I'M GOING DOWN;' WHICH WAS SAID; BUT MIXED WITH AN EXPLANATION; AND A REQUEST WHICH I GUESS THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. AFTER I HAD LEVELED OFF AT A LOWER ALT; MAYBE FL210; CTR WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ME CLRLY; ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE EMER. I SAID NO; ASKED WHAT I WANTED TO DO; I SAID DSND TO 17000 FT AND CANCEL IFR. THE REQUEST WAS GRANTED; AND I WAS ASKED TO CALL CTR WHEN ON THE GND. UPON REACHING ANCHORAGE; I CALLED. A PERSON THERE SAID THAT THEY ONLY WANTED TO KNOW WHY I SUDDENLY DSNDED; AND THAT WHEN THEY HEARD 'I'M GOING DOWN' IT STARTED SOME 'THINGS IN ACTION THERE.' A SUPVR WAS HORRIFIED; BUT THE PERSON I TALKED TO SAID THERE WAS NO PROB.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.