Rapid Decompression procedures?

Vector4Food

This job would be easier without all the airplanes
Hi folks,

Just wondering the various procedures your company abides by, which may or may not line up with any rules you have in the states in regards to rapid decompression?

I've heard anything from descent on course, to 30-45 degree turn off course then descending.

Differences between on airway or flying on an RNAV track?
 
Put on the mask, establish comms with the guy next to you, run the checklist.

I don't have the checklist in front of me, but it likely commands to declare an emergency and perform an emergency descent. The training department recommends that you enter the descent in a bank, but that's for aerodynamic and not separation purposes.
 
We use turns to increase the rate of descent, not really turning to a heading as much as 360s or 180s.

No difference in procedure for us.
 
Hi folks,

Just wondering the various procedures your company abides by, which may or may not line up with any rules you have in the states in regards to rapid decompression?

I've heard anything from descent on course, to 30-45 degree turn off course then descending.

Differences between on airway or flying on an RNAV track?
Like @jtrain609 said, (1) can I breathe? (2) can I talk to the other guy? (3) can the passengers breathe (passenger oxygen, as required)? (4) Let's head downhill.

I've not actually had to do one (sim or otherwise), but our procedure is:
- Power levers - flight idle
- 200 knots or Vmo, whichever is lower
- Gear - down
- Condition levers - MAX RPM ("Advance the condition levers smoothly and continuously")

Put a lower altitude (10,000' or MEA) in the window and press DSC, IAS on the flight control panel at 200 knots if you want to use the autopilot—which is recommended.
 
It's been a while but I think I remember the autopilot in the Citation III would do a 90 degree left turn, descend at Mmo to Vmo to 15k. Procedure was power levers idle, mask on, speed brakes and spoilers out and she'd fall out of the sky.
 
Like @jtrain609 said, (1) can I breathe? (2) can I talk to the other guy? (3) can the passengers breathe (passenger oxygen, as required)? (4) Let's head downhill..

Put a lower altitude (10,000' or MEA) in the window and press DSC, IAS on the flight control panel at 200 knots if you want to use the autopilot—which is recommended.

I can't say I've ever considered the autopilot in an emergency descent.

For us it's:
-Mask
-Mic
-autopilot disconnect
-power idle
-speedbrakes/spoilers
descend at Vmo/Mmo unless structural damage is suspected.

I suppose a jet is flying higher than turboprops typically, so getting to a breathable altitude is a priority. With that thought, I can get a descent with a terrific rate going much more quickly manually than I could programming the auto pilot.

Sent from my DROID RAZR
 
I can't say I've ever considered the autopilot in an emergency descent.

For us it's:
-Mask
-Mic
-autopilot disconnect
-power idle
-speedbrakes/spoilers
descend at Vmo/Mmo unless structural damage is suspected.

I suppose a jet is flying higher than turboprops typically, so getting to a breathable altitude is a priority. With that thought, I can get a descent with a terrific rate going much more quickly manually than I could programming the auto pilot.

Sent from my DROID RAZR
Yeah, it's "recommended". What I actually do will depend on the circumstances.

@dasleben can probably say something smarter about the Boeing automation, but they taught my Dad "spin push, spin pull" for a while.
 
Oooh, I should know this since I got the high altitude endorsement in one of COA's sims ... a great add on to all of my 172 time.
 
Don the mask, establish communications, extend the gear, start a left or right turn (away from terrain), run the checklists, and descend.
 
me either...is that new? Or did I just reject that notion out of hand?...LOL
Eh.

It's not new, at least, it's not new to me. I have no idea but I'll ask some of my LCA buddies.

I've hand-flown non-emergency but steep descents in similar configurations (flight idle, MAX RPM and gear down at 200 knots) and it's not a big deal, and the human touch actually produces smoother results in rough air. The autopilot will do "okay," but the level-off will be abrupt when the autopilot changes from the IAS to the ALT SEL schedule. Let me ask some of my check airman friends about it.
 
IIRC, in the dash we would set 10k in the window and turn on the autopilot so it would capture while we were blacked out. However with our cruising around at 9k for a long leg we didn't worry about pressurization too much.
 
I did one in the sim and we used it. DSC then IAS at 200. It was the instructors recommendation to use it.
DSC, IAS at 200 knots with our typical flight idle deceleration in level flight (especially at MAX RPM and with the gear down) is going to be large negative-G maneuver in the real airplane.
 
Eh.

It's not new, at least, it's not new to me. I have no idea but I'll ask some of my LCA buddies.

I've hand-flown non-emergency but steep descents in similar configurations (flight idle, MAX RPM and gear down at 200 knots) and it's not a big deal, and the human touch actually produces smoother results in rough air. The autopilot will do "okay," but the level-off will be abrupt when the autopilot changes from the IAS to the ALT SEL schedule. Let me ask some of my check airman friends about it.
@Bumblebee
I just got off the horn with one of my LCA friends. The stated reason that autopilot use is recommended throughout the maneuver is to ensure a maximum rate of descent without overspeeding the aircraft.

Makes some level of sense.
 
Gulfstreams when above 390 will enable EDM. Max descent, 90* left turn, and level at 15,000. This is with a/p engaged. Gotta go catch my ride, and will catch this later.
 
@Bumblebee
I just got off the horn with one of my LCA friends. The stated reason that autopilot use is recommended throughout the maneuver is to ensure a maximum rate of descent without overspeeding the aircraft.

Makes some level of sense.
cool I get it...I've had her pegged on the VSI from 270 to 6000 between ACV and SMF, and done it by hand...fun. Not an emergency descent, but I did it thinking about the procedure. No flaps, and no gear.
 
cool I get it...I've had her pegged on the VSI from 270 to 6000 between ACV and SMF, and done it by hand...fun. Not an emergency descent, but I did it thinking about the procedure. No flaps, and no gear.
Our typical arrival into PSP from LAX is as close to an emergency descent that you'll get in normal operations. Because props aren't speedbrakes, though, I prefer to have some flaps out and do 170-180 instead.


AFIS LINK ACK
 
Our typical arrival into PSP from LAX is as close to an emergency descent that you'll get in normal operations. Because props aren't speedbrakes, though, I prefer to have some flaps out and do 170-180 instead.


AFIS LINK ACK
right over that mountain and drop like a rock...from there you're config for lndg next anyway..on that descent from ACV to SMF I was still over Marysville
 
cool I get it...I've had her pegged on the VSI from 270 to 6000 between ACV and SMF, and done it by hand...fun. Not an emergency descent, but I did it thinking about the procedure. No flaps, and no gear.

What happened to cause that?
 
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