A DC9-30 in descent at FL200 declared an emergency and executed an emergency descent due to loss of cabin pressure.
Synopsis
A DC9-30 in descent at FL200 declared an emergency and executed an emergency descent due to loss of cabin pressure.
Narrative
Rewritten in plain English from NASA’s original all-caps telegraphic report — facts, figures, and terminology preserved.
At FL200, lost pressurization. Cabin climbed to 11500 feet. Executed emergency descent at 11000 feet. Flight attendant reported smoke and fire in tail compartment.
Declared an emergency, landed immediately, shut down aircraft, deployed both front slides but did not evacuate aircraft because there was no fire or smoke on the ground, verified by firemen and jump seat rider. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following info: the reporter stated the aircraft was a DC9-30 and the cause of the pressurization loss was the air cycle machine output duct was found disconnected dumping cool, moist air into the tail compartment. The reporter said the flight attendant report of smoke and fire was only the cool, moist air fogging up the tail compartment.
Show the original NASA report (verbatim, telegraphic)
AT FL200 LOST PRESSURIZATION. CABIN CLBED TO 11500 FT. EXECUTED EMER DSCNT AT 11000 FT. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SMOKE AND FIRE IN TAIL COMPARTMENT. DECLARED AN EMER; LANDED IMMEDIATELY; SHUT DOWN ACFT; DEPLOYED BOTH FRONT SLIDES BUT DID NOT EVAC ACFT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FIRE OR SMOKE ON THE GND VERIFIED BY FIREMEN AND JUMP SEAT RIDER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A DC9-30 AND THE CAUSE OF THE PRESSURIZATION LOSS WAS THE AIR CYCLE MACHINE OUTPUT DUCT WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED DUMPING COOL; MOIST AIR INTO THE TAIL COMPARTMENT. THE RPTR SAID THE FLT ATTENDANT RPT OF SMOKE AND FIRE WAS ONLY THE COOL; MOIST AIR FOGGING UP THE TAIL COMPARTMENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.