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20080304832739I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Airbus A319-114 · March 4, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
March 4, 2008
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
NWAA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N333NB
Reported as
Airbus A319114
People aboard
115
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N333NBRegistered now · Airbus Industrie A319-114S/N 1582 · Built 2001Airframe modelAirbus Industrie A319-114Engine modelCFM International CFM56 seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Northwest 1184 departed detroit (dtw) for houston (iah) with two items deferred under the minimum equipment list (MEL). The two items were the number 2 pack and the number 1 high pressure valve (hpv). During cruise flight the flight attendants reported feeling a "sudden, extremely abrupt and large change in pressurization causing our ears to pop deeply and abruptly." The captain reported that a 2,000 foot per minute descent rate in cabin pressure was observed on the aircraft instruments for about 4 seconds. The pressure change indication was accompanied by a "prv-solenoid" message on the electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ecam) system. In addition to the ear discomfort reported by the flight attendants, one passenger complained of ear pain, one passenger (a child) experienced sudden projectile vomiting, and one passenger had a "gushing nose bleed - without warning." The aircraft continued to its destination and was met at the gate by paramedics, and the passengers and flight attendants refused medical attention.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) NORTHWEST 1184 DEPARTED DETROIT (DTW) FOR HOUSTON (IAH) WITH TWO ITEMS DEFERRED UNDER THE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST (MEL). THE TWO ITEMS WERE THE NUMBER 2 PACK AND THE NUMBER 1 HIGH PRESSURE VALVE (HPV). DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REPORTED FEELING A "SUDDEN, EXTREMELY ABRUPT AND LARGE CHANGE IN PRESSURIZATION CAUSING OUR EARS TO POP DEEPLY AND ABRUPTLY." THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT A 2,000 FOOT PER MINUTE DESCENT RATE IN CABIN PRESSURE WAS OBSERVED ON THE AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS FOR ABOUT 4 SECONDS. THE PRESSURE CHANGE INDICATION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A "PRV-SOLENOID" MESSAGE ON THE ELECTRONIC CENTRALIZED AIRCRAFT MONITOR (ECAM) SYSTEM. IN ADDITION TO THE EAR DISCOMFORT REPORTED BY THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, ONE PASSENGER COMPLAINED OF EAR PAIN, ONE PASSENGER (A CHILD) EXPERIENCED SUDDEN PROJECTILE VOMITING, AND ONE PASSENGER HAD A "GUSHING NOSE BLEED - WITHOUT WARNING." THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ITS DESTINATION AND WAS MET AT THE GATE BY PARAMEDICS, AND THE PASSENGERS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REFUSED MEDICAL ATTENTION.