Foreign Report: BFU18-0975-EX – Serious Incident involving a Boeing B737-8AS aircraft, registration EI-ENM, on 13 July 2018, 33 NM west of Grostenquin VOR.

The German BFU has published a Final Report concerning an Irish-registered Boeing 737-800 aircraft flying from Dublin, Ireland, to Zadar, Croatia on 13 July 2018, in which a rapid decompression in the cabin occurred at FL 370 due to an error in one of the Cabin Pressure Controllers (CPC). This resulted in the opening of the Outflow Valve (OFV). While the crew conducted an emergency descent with a manually closed OFV, the cabin pressure increased to the aircraft’s maximum differential pressure. At 9,000 ft AMSL, the aircraft levelled off and the OFV was opened manually which resulted in a second rapid decompression. Subsequently, the airplane landed at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. The Investigation was informed that 33 persons (2 crew and 31 passengers) on board suffered minor injuries due to pressure fluctuation. The AAIU participated in this investigation as the Accredited Representative (ACCREP) for the State of Aircraft Registration.