Loss of cabin pressure requires an emergency descent procedure and return land at departure airport.

Attributes
ACN	244715
Time
Date	199306
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gdl
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude descent other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : gdl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	244715
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On the leg from pvr to gdl our right air conditioning pack quit working. When we were in range of gdl I called operations and explained that we had lost our right pack and that we would need a mechanic. The flight was met by a mechanic sent by gdl operations and I explained to him the problem, and he left the cockpit to take a look at the pack. When he returned, he told me that the right pack valve was stuck closed but he would be unable to repair it. He signed off the logbook with an MEL number and said he would tell operations. A few mins later we were given a new release that allowed us to be dispatched with 1 pack inoperative. Shortly after departure, the cabin began to climb unctlably. We asked for and received clearance to descend but the cabin reached 13500 ft and the oxygen masks in the cabin were deployed. We returned to gdl. Once on the ground, the captain called houston control and discovered that they had not been notified of any problem with the plane. We were told that dispatch should not have released us. The mechanic that gdl operations had sent us had not talked to houston maintenance and had no power or authority to sign off the plane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE REQUIRES AN EMER DSCNT PROC AND RETURN LAND AT DEP ARPT.

Narrative: ON THE LEG FROM PVR TO GDL OUR R AIR CONDITIONING PACK QUIT WORKING. WHEN WE WERE IN RANGE OF GDL I CALLED OPS AND EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD LOST OUR R PACK AND THAT WE WOULD NEED A MECH. THE FLT WAS MET BY A MECH SENT BY GDL OPS AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE PROB, AND HE LEFT THE COCKPIT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PACK. WHEN HE RETURNED, HE TOLD ME THAT THE R PACK VALVE WAS STUCK CLOSED BUT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. HE SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK WITH AN MEL NUMBER AND SAID HE WOULD TELL OPS. A FEW MINS LATER WE WERE GIVEN A NEW RELEASE THAT ALLOWED US TO BE DISPATCHED WITH 1 PACK INOP. SHORTLY AFTER DEP, THE CABIN BEGAN TO CLB UNCTLABLY. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND BUT THE CABIN REACHED 13500 FT AND THE OXYGEN MASKS IN THE CABIN WERE DEPLOYED. WE RETURNED TO GDL. ONCE ON THE GND, THE CAPT CALLED HOUSTON CTL AND DISCOVERED THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY PROB WITH THE PLANE. WE WERE TOLD THAT DISPATCH SHOULD NOT HAVE RELEASED US. THE MECH THAT GDL OPS HAD SENT US HAD NOT TALKED TO HOUSTON MAINT AND HAD NO PWR OR AUTHORITY TO SIGN OFF THE PLANE.

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.