A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N532NK performing flight NK-875 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Portland,OR (USA) with 149 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 80nm northeast of Lubbock,TX (USA) when the crew initiated an emergency descent due to the loss of cabin pressure. The crew decided to divert to Lubbock, and descended the aircraft to 5200 feet. While in a hold to burn off fuel the crew requested radar vectors back to Dallas Ft. Worth about 245nm east of Lubbock, climbed to 9000 feet, cancelled the emergency, and returned to Dallas Ft. Worth for a safe landing on Dallas Ft. Worth’s runway 18R about 80 minutes after the decision to return and about 2.5 hours after departure.
A replacement A319-100 registration N509NK reached Portland as flight NK6875 with a delay of 4.5 hours.
The airline reported the crew returned the aircraft to Dallas due to a possible cabin pressure issue.
The Aviation Herald