Flybe DH8D near BIrmingham on Jul 22nd 2019, cabin pressure problems

Last Update: April 9, 2020 / 20:48:31 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Flybe G-PRPK, De Havilland Dash 8 (400) — Flybe G-PRPK, De Havilland Dash 8 (400) (Photo credit: Alec BHX/KKC / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 22, 2019

Classification
Report

Cause
Cabin pressure problems

Airline
Flybe

Flight number
BE-1331

Departure
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Destination
London City, United Kingdom

Aircraft Registration
G-PRPK

Aircraft Type
De Havilland Dash 8 (400)

ICAO Type Designator
DH8D

A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-PRPK performing flight BE-1331 from Edinburgh,SC to London City,EN (UK) with 56 passenges and 4 crew, was enroute at FL250 about 70nm northnorthwest of Birmingham,EN (UK) when the crew received a CABIN PRESS warning, the cabin altitude was at 10,000 feet with no tendency of further increasing, no fault light was present on the pressurization panel. While working the checklist the cabin altitude increased to slightly above 10,000 feet, the commander (57, ATPL, 12,582 hours total, 8,332 hours on type) therefore decided to initiate an emergency descent. The crew donned their oxygen masks and informed ATC. Descending through FL150 the cabin pressure warning extinguished and the cabin pressure indications appeared all normal suggesting the cabin pressure controller was still working. After levelling off at FL100 the crew decided to divert to Birmingham for a safe landing. The crew pulled the circuit breakers for CVR and FDR.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 12 hours then returned to service.

The UK AAIB released their bulletin stating: "Soon after being notified of the event the AAIB released the aircraft for maintenance action and entry back into service. The operator assumed this included the CVR and FDR. The CVR was subsequently overwritten after the aircraft returned to service and thus not analysed."

The AAIB continued: "During the engineering investigation no faults were indicated on the cabin pressure control panel. Also, there were no messages on the central diagnostic system when the aircraft was pressurised in automatic and manual modes to the maximum permitted differential pressure. The aircraft was returned to service the same day when it flew from Birmingham to Edinburgh without event."

However, this was only the first of 9 similiar events until the aircraft was removed from service for 11 days for a thorough engineering investigation. The AAIB reported: "After the ninth event, involving another emergency descent, the operator withdrew the aircraft from service and conducted an in-depth investigation into the recurring fault. Several bleed air and pressurisation components were replaced before the aircraft returned to service. The absence of further reported pressurisation faults since the aircraft returned to service indicates that this intervention was successful. It is therefore possible that several events, including the second emergency descent, would have been avoided if this intervention had occurred sooner."