P180 captain reported losing cabin pressure and then finding he had never turned the bleeds on.

Attributes
ACN	1011390
Time
Date	201205
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.ARTCC
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	P180 Avanti
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Pressurization System
Person 1
Function	Pilot Not Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150 Flight Crew Total 4000 Flight Crew Type 3000
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

We departed and received a cabin pressure light illumination [climbing] through 12;000 ft. We put on our oxygen [masks] and requested lower immediately. We declared an emergency and squawked 7700 in order to get descent priority. Pilot flying took controls and radios I prepared the appropriate cabin pressure light checklist. As we descended to 10;000 the light extinguished and [we] continued to finish the cabin pressure checklist. The checklist led us to check the bleeds I realized they were not on and had not been on since we took off. I turned them on and the cabin pressurized normally in both auto and manual mode. Realizing my error (i.e. Accidentally not turning the bleeds on allowing the cabin to pressurize) we received legal approval to continue after canceling our emergency and continued to our destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P180 Captain reported losing cabin pressure and then finding he had never turned the bleeds on.

Narrative: We departed and received a cabin pressure light illumination [climbing] through 12;000 FT. We put on our oxygen [masks] and requested lower immediately. We declared an emergency and squawked 7700 in order to get descent priority. Pilot flying took controls and radios I prepared the appropriate cabin pressure light checklist. As we descended to 10;000 the light extinguished and [we] continued to finish the cabin pressure checklist. The checklist led us to check the bleeds I realized they were not on and had not been on since we took off. I turned them on and the cabin pressurized normally in both auto and manual mode. Realizing my error (i.e. accidentally not turning the bleeds on allowing the cabin to pressurize) we received legal approval to continue after canceling our emergency and continued to our destination.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.