Originally Posted by
EDLB
The captain is in command not ATC. In an live threatening emergency all air traffic regulations come in second.
It is not about regulations , it is about common sense . The scenario of a rapid decompression always assumes a working oxygen system and always assumes you put on your mask quickly as the first action . It assumes you stay concious .
In this case the situation is stabilized enough to have few seconds to at least announce an emergency descend to ATC .
If you are about to cross another aircraft 1000 feet below you and just push the column hard forward no atc in the world will have time to sort out anything .
Finally : its about you , if you crash in another aircraft nobody will sue you , if not nobody will sue you either for an unanounced emer descend but you should use common sense if it is really that smart to just go into a dive when your mask is on and working .