Narrative:

I was completing the 4TH day of IOE with a high time first officer who had previously been captain qualified on the medium large transport a and was now qualifying/transitioning to first officer on the medium large transport B. He had been doing quite well. Somehow, after takeoff the bleed air source for pressurization was not switched from APU to engine bleeds. Apparently the after takeoff flow and the after takeoff checklist were not properly completed by the first officer doing the PNF duties and these omissions were not picked up by me as a check airman. Part of the flow/checklist is to shutdown the APU. This was one of the omitted items. Climbing thru approximately FL240 the first officer noted that the APU was still on and proceeded to shut it down. With the engine bleeds off the cabin altitude began to increase/climb. A descent and return to newark int'l was requested from ATC without declaring an emergency and descent to 10,000' was commenced to maintain cabin pressure. At 13,000' I noted that the engine bleeds were off and corrected the problem. Cabin O2 masks did not deploy. Climb on course was requested and approved. Shortly after the F/a's advised that an older gentleman was apparently unconscious but was breathing. A return to newark for a 'medical emergency' was requested and approved. A passenger/doctor who was on board offered to help. His credentials were verified and he was given the emergency medical kit. The older gentleman was conscious and doing better when we landed but we had an ambulance meet him anyhow. We learned that the gentleman had been to an emergency room the day before for the same symptoms (fainting) and had decided to fly with us despite the doctor's advice, so he could attend his daughter's wedding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LOST CABIN PRESSURE AT FL240 WHEN FLT CREW FAILED TO OPEN THE ENGINE BLEEDS AS THE APU WAS SHUT DOWN. ACFT DESCENDED TO 10,000' BEFORE FLT CREW DISCOVERED THEIR ERROR. DURING THE INCIDENT A PASSENGER PASSED OUT AND THE FLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT FOR MEDICAL HELP.

Narrative: I WAS COMPLETING THE 4TH DAY OF IOE WITH A HIGH TIME F/O WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CAPT QUALIFIED ON THE MLG A AND WAS NOW QUALIFYING/TRANSITIONING TO F/O ON THE MLG B. HE HAD BEEN DOING QUITE WELL. SOMEHOW, AFTER TKOF THE BLEED AIR SOURCE FOR PRESSURIZATION WAS NOT SWITCHED FROM APU TO ENGINE BLEEDS. APPARENTLY THE AFTER TKOF FLOW AND THE AFTER TKOF CHECKLIST WERE NOT PROPERLY COMPLETED BY THE F/O DOING THE PNF DUTIES AND THESE OMISSIONS WERE NOT PICKED UP BY ME AS A CHECK AIRMAN. PART OF THE FLOW/CHECKLIST IS TO SHUTDOWN THE APU. THIS WAS ONE OF THE OMITTED ITEMS. CLIMBING THRU APPROX FL240 THE F/O NOTED THAT THE APU WAS STILL ON AND PROCEEDED TO SHUT IT DOWN. WITH THE ENGINE BLEEDS OFF THE CABIN ALT BEGAN TO INCREASE/CLIMB. A DSCNT AND RETURN TO NEWARK INT'L WAS REQUESTED FROM ATC WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER AND DSCNT TO 10,000' WAS COMMENCED TO MAINTAIN CABIN PRESSURE. AT 13,000' I NOTED THAT THE ENGINE BLEEDS WERE OFF AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. CABIN O2 MASKS DID NOT DEPLOY. CLIMB ON COURSE WAS REQUESTED AND APPROVED. SHORTLY AFTER THE F/A'S ADVISED THAT AN OLDER GENTLEMAN WAS APPARENTLY UNCONSCIOUS BUT WAS BREATHING. A RETURN TO NEWARK FOR A 'MEDICAL EMER' WAS REQUESTED AND APPROVED. A PAX/DOCTOR WHO WAS ON BOARD OFFERED TO HELP. HIS CREDENTIALS WERE VERIFIED AND HE WAS GIVEN THE EMER MEDICAL KIT. THE OLDER GENTLEMAN WAS CONSCIOUS AND DOING BETTER WHEN WE LANDED BUT WE HAD AN AMBULANCE MEET HIM ANYHOW. WE LEARNED THAT THE GENTLEMAN HAD BEEN TO AN EMER ROOM THE DAY BEFORE FOR THE SAME SYMPTOMS (FAINTING) AND HAD DECIDED TO FLY WITH US DESPITE THE DOCTOR'S ADVICE, SO HE COULD ATTEND HIS DAUGHTER'S WEDDING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.