WestJet plane makes emergency landing after pressure problem
 

Good Morning All:

This article is from the Canadian Press from yesterday.

The rapid depressurization emergancy descent is one of the most practiced drills (next to rejected take off and engine fire/power loss) at the beginning of each crew cycle.

This was well handled and BRAVO ZULU to the operating crew.

WestJet plane makes emergency landing after pressure problem

01/12/2014 07:23 AM The Canadian Press

Passengers aboard a WestJet flight heading for Winnipeg put on oxygen masks and held on tight when their jet experienced a pressurization problem.
WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer says the Boeing 737-700 was on its way from Phoenix to Winnipeg on Friday night when the trouble developed.
The pilots declared an emergency and made a rapid descent which took the plane from 12,000 metres to below 3,000 metres in just a few minutes.
Palmer says the plane landed safely at the nearest available airport — Rapid City, South Dakota.
Passengers were put up in a hotel in Rapid City for the night and were due back in Winnipeg Saturday evening.
There’s no word yet on what caused the pressurization problem but Palmer says the airline is investigating.
There were 38 passengers, two pilots and a flight attendant on board.
Palmer said such incidents are uncommon. The last time a WestJet plane experienced a pressurization problem that required a rapid descent, he said, was three or four years ago.
“This is a descent that is faster than normal, than say, when you’re landing.” Palmer said.
“It took a few minutes. It’s not like in the movies where the aircraft does a nose dive.”
He says both the National Transportation Safety Board in the U.S. and the Transportation Safety Board in Canada are satisfied with WestJet’s response and won’t be investigating.

Good Afternoon All:

From the Transport Safety Board Daily Notifications:

Aircraft Information:

Registration : C-FWAD Operator : WESTJET Manufacturer : BOEING Operator Type: COMMERCIAL Model : 737-700 CARs Info: 705 - AIRLINER Injuries: Fatal : 0 Serious : 0 Minor : 0 None : 43 Unknown : 0
Occurrence Summary :

A14F0007: Westjet flight 1343, a Boeing 737-700 aircraft, registration C-FWAD was enroute from Phoenix to Winnipeg. While in cruise at 41000 feet, the #2 pressurization bleed tripped off. The #2 bleed was reset and approximately 10 minutes later tripped again. The #2 bleed was then turned off. Approximately 15 minutes later the #1 pressurization bleed tripped as well, and the cabin altitude increased at 2000-3000 feet per minute. The crew donned their oxygen masks and completed a rapid depressurization followed by an emergency descent. The crew declared an emergency, descended to 10000 feet, and diverted the flight to Rapid City, South Dakota where the aircraft landed safely. The aircraft has since been ferried to Toronto for further inspection and repair.