Date: 201812
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.ARTCC, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Aircraft component: Air Conditioning and Pressurization Pack
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Workload
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Pack 2 had been problematic starting about halfway through the flight; with the FA having complained about the freezing cabin. The pack was operating in Manual/1 o'clock; but not improving the temperature when it must have failed; un-annunciated. With about 30 minutes remaining and cleared direct to destination at FL370; the 'CABIN' aural warning sounded with the Cabin Altitude indicating 10;000 [feet] and increasing at about 100ft/30 seconds. We both donned O2 masks and established communications. My mic initially worked; but quickly stopped working as I was unable to call ATC for an immediate descent and then talk to the First Officer. I used the handheld mic alternately with the mask as I was not concerned with becoming hypoxic once we initiated the descent and cabin altitude trended back downwards. Due to the limited excursion (the maximum cabin altitude attained was 11;400 [feet]) the emergency descent maneuver was not required to reverse the trend and quickly get the cabin back below 10;000 [feet]; at which point I was able to switch back to the headset and communicate with the Flight Attendant to verify everyone was okay and whether the masks had deployed.Given the safe cabin altitude; proximity to destination; consultation with Dispatch; and that the masks had not deployed and passengers were verified safe/unperturbed; we elected to continue to [destination] and landed.Our reactions and decisions were textbook with the exception being the mask mic failure which led to some unscripted actions on my part. Instantly assessing the trend and risk of the cabin altitude as well as the inability to call the Flight Attendant promptly; I decided to initiate a regular descent and acquire the clearance rather than try to get through the memory items without communications having been reliably established.  Ideally I would have transferred controls so the First Officer could have more effectively communicated with ATC and the Flight Attendant with his mask; but at the time I was more concerned with getting the descent going ASAP rather than trying to communicate such by yelling in the loud cockpit. This seemed perfectly reasonable at the time and worked out as such. I really don't know--this was another good example of two unrelated systems failures having a synergistic effect in terms of unraveling the efficacy of SOPs.




Synopsis: EMB-145 Captain reported continuing to destination after loss of cabin pressure related to pack failure. Captain also reported his O2 mask microphone failed during the descent.