Narrative:

After takeoff from sfo-sea on regular scheduled flight, aircraft seemed to stay in ground mode. Captain flew while first officer attempted to solve problem and contact company maintenance. Slow climb continued and at about FL240 right pack tripped off. First officer still was involved with mechanical problems and at about FL300 plus, left pack tripped off and we seemed to lose cabin pressure control. I requested a lower altitude and ZOA cleared us to FL240 and on down to 15000 ft then 10000 ft. We did make a steep descent, but not a full emergency descent as we always seemed to have limited cabin pressure control. No emergency was declared and highest cabin altitude reached was about 9500 ft. We remained at 10000 ft until our descent for landing at sfo. Emergency equipment met our aircraft upon landing and FAA inspectors met us upon reaching the gate. The inspectors stated the tower had received notification from center who had received a call from the highway patrol saying they had a cellular telephone call from a passenger on our flight saying he was on an aircraft out of control and going to hit a mountain. After being questioned by the FAA we got a new aircraft and flew a normal flight to sea. We were always in full control of our aircraft, though very busy at the time. I made an announcement to the cabin as soon as I was able after the last level off. Aircraft system were normal until takeoff. After that, we had problems raising the gear, TCASII. ATC transponders, autothrottle, packs, pressurization control, after landing right anti-skid. Communication with the company via comrdo was very hard to establish and never useful. Evidently a cellular telephone use was better. I know passenger were concerned and need to be told what is going on. I spoke to them as soon as able, but we have no way to control persons from using aircraft cellular telephones to make calls that may not reflect factual or technical information to anyone on the ground. That may be more of a problem in the future. I also let passenger listen to our communications with ATC on our passenger entertainment system, though I know some pilots will not, because passenger may misunderstand some calls. We are able to control this feature and maybe we should have a switch for the cellular telephones as well. Supplemental information from acn 223899: passenger in first class used airphone to call 911 chp/marin county and report out of control in danger of hitting a mountain. Suspect aircraft was never in danger of hitting anything and except for initial pushover of nose, actuation of speed brake to begin descent, operations were mostly normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG LOST CABIN PRESSURE AND RETURNED TO LAND.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM SFO-SEA ON REGULAR SCHEDULED FLT, ACFT SEEMED TO STAY IN GND MODE. CAPT FLEW WHILE FO ATTEMPTED TO SOLVE PROBLEM AND CONTACT COMPANY MAINT. SLOW CLB CONTINUED AND AT ABOUT FL240 R PACK TRIPPED OFF. FO STILL WAS INVOLVED WITH MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND AT ABOUT FL300 PLUS, L PACK TRIPPED OFF AND WE SEEMED TO LOSE CABIN PRESSURE CTL. I REQUESTED A LOWER ALT AND ZOA CLRED US TO FL240 AND ON DOWN TO 15000 FT THEN 10000 FT. WE DID MAKE A STEEP DSCNT, BUT NOT A FULL EMER DSCNT AS WE ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE LIMITED CABIN PRESSURE CTL. NO EMER WAS DECLARED AND HIGHEST CABIN ALT REACHED WAS ABOUT 9500 FT. WE REMAINED AT 10000 FT UNTIL OUR DSCNT FOR LNDG AT SFO. EMER EQUIP MET OUR ACFT UPON LNDG AND FAA INSPECTORS MET US UPON REACHING THE GATE. THE INSPECTORS STATED THE TWR HAD RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM CTR WHO HAD RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE HWY PATROL SAYING THEY HAD A CELLULAR TELEPHONE CALL FROM A PAX ON OUR FLT SAYING HE WAS ON AN ACFT OUT OF CTL AND GOING TO HIT A MOUNTAIN. AFTER BEING QUESTIONED BY THE FAA WE GOT A NEW ACFT AND FLEW A NORMAL FLT TO SEA. WE WERE ALWAYS IN FULL CTL OF OUR ACFT, THOUGH VERY BUSY AT THE TIME. I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE CABIN AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE AFTER THE LAST LEVEL OFF. ACFT SYS WERE NORMAL UNTIL TKOF. AFTER THAT, WE HAD PROBLEMS RAISING THE GEAR, TCASII. ATC TRANSPONDERS, AUTOTHROTTLE, PACKS, PRESSURIZATION CTL, AFTER LNDG R ANTI-SKID. COM WITH THE COMPANY VIA COMRDO WAS VERY HARD TO ESTABLISH AND NEVER USEFUL. EVIDENTLY A CELLULAR TELEPHONE USE WAS BETTER. I KNOW PAX WERE CONCERNED AND NEED TO BE TOLD WHAT IS GOING ON. I SPOKE TO THEM AS SOON AS ABLE, BUT WE HAVE NO WAY TO CTL PERSONS FROM USING ACFT CELLULAR TELEPHONES TO MAKE CALLS THAT MAY NOT REFLECT FACTUAL OR TECHNICAL INFO TO ANYONE ON THE GND. THAT MAY BE MORE OF A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. I ALSO LET PAX LISTEN TO OUR COMS WITH ATC ON OUR PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS, THOUGH I KNOW SOME PLTS WILL NOT, BECAUSE PAX MAY MISUNDERSTAND SOME CALLS. WE ARE ABLE TO CTL THIS FEATURE AND MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE A SWITCH FOR THE CELLULAR TELEPHONES AS WELL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 223899: PAX IN FIRST CLASS USED AIRPHONE TO CALL 911 CHP/MARIN COUNTY AND RPT OUT OF CTL IN DANGER OF HITTING A MOUNTAIN. SUSPECT ACFT WAS NEVER IN DANGER OF HITTING ANYTHING AND EXCEPT FOR INITIAL PUSHOVER OF NOSE, ACTUATION OF SPD BRAKE TO BEGIN DSCNT, OPS WERE MOSTLY NORMAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.