What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) An emergency descent was initiated after the cabin altitude warning was triggered as the aircraft climbed through 27,700FT, and the cabin altitude was confirmed climbing past 10,000FT. The aircraft landed without incident at ric, and taxied to the gate, where all passengers and crew deplaned via the main cabin door. The cabin altitude never reached the oxygen mask deployment trigger point. Twenty eight passengers passengers and one cabin crewmember were treated locally by airport emergency response personnel for head and ear aches, and nose bleeds. Of those, 28 were released, and one was taken to the hospital for further observation, and later also released. The post-landing investigation revealed that a piece of the aft lavatory water tank fiberglass insulating blanket had become loose, and fallen on top of the outflow valve, fouling its operation. Maintenance changed the outflow valve, as a precautionary measure, and resecured the water tank insulation. The pressurization system was functionally checked per the maintenance manual, and the aircraft returned to service.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WAS INITIATED AFTER THE CABIN ALTITUDE WARNING WAS TRIGGERED AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THROUGH 27,700FT, AND THE CABIN ALTITUDE WAS CONFIRMED CLIMBING PAST 10,000FT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT RIC, AND TAXIED TO THE GATE, WHERE ALL PASSENGERS AND CREW DEPLANED VIA THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. THE CABIN ALTITUDE NEVER REACHED THE OXYGEN MASK DEPLOYMENT TRIGGER POINT. TWENTY EIGHT PASSENGERS PASSENGERS AND ONE CABIN CREWMEMBER WERE TREATED LOCALLY BY AIRPORT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL FOR HEAD AND EAR ACHES, AND NOSE BLEEDS. OF THOSE, 28 WERE RELEASED, AND ONE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER OBSERVATION, AND LATER ALSO RELEASED. THE POST-LANDING INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A PIECE OF THE AFT LAVATORY WATER TANK FIBERGLASS INSULATING BLANKET HAD BECOME LOOSE, AND FALLEN ON TOP OF THE OUTFLOW VALVE, FOULING ITS OPERATION. MAINTENANCE CHANGED THE OUTFLOW VALVE, AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, AND RESECURED THE WATER TANK INSULATION. THE PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM WAS FUNCTIONALLY CHECKED PER THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL, AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.
Other reports on N397US · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.