B737-500
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 165
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Climbing through approximately 32;000 FT; the Cabin Altitude Warning horn sounded. The cabin altitude was approximately 10;000 FT and climbing. We first complied with the memory items. After putting on our oxygen masks and establishing communications; we asked for and received clearance to descend to 14;000 FT and then 10;000 FT. We then reviewed the QRH and completed the Cabin Altitude Warning Horn/Abnormal Pressurization Checklist and Emergency Descent Checklist.While descending; we completed the items on the checklists and saw that the pressurization was controllable and the cabin altitude had stabilized below 10;000 FT. We elected to continue our descent since we didn't know what had caused the cabin altitude to exceed 10;000 FT. There had been no abnormal indications or warning lights. We contacted Dispatch; discussed our fuel and status; and agreed to divert to a nearby airport and landed there safely.
[No substantive additional information was included in the secondary narrative.]
When they received a cabin altitude warning climbing through FL320 the flight crew of a B737-500 declared an emergency; descended to a safe altitude and diverted to a nearby airport.