Narrative:

We did an air turnback because the aircraft would not pressurize in automatic, standby, or manual modes. When we pulled back into the gate, the first officer pulled his seat forward and we found 5 circuit breakers out. Maintenance had brought the aircraft from the hangar and we did what we thought was a normal preflight, which according to our procedures includes 2 checks of the circuit breaker panels. After we were airborne and the aircraft did not pressurize, we leveled at 1000 ft and I engaged the autoplt, gave the QRH to the first officer who went through all the procedures. As we were climbing, the first thing I thought about was circuit breakers since the pressurization panel did not appear to have any power to it. While the first officer went through the QRH, I pulled his left armrest forward to check the circuit breaker panel behind him. Just as I was doing this, ATC gave us a vector heading and a descent. I looked at the circuit breakers and acknowledged ATC, began the turn and descent, and we ran our checklists and made a normal landing. 3 times we checked the circuit breaker panels and 3 times we apparently missed 5 circuit breakers out. Supplemental information from acn 387267: I learned the aircraft had been in maintenance but no logbook write-up concerning pressurization. The first officer's oxygen hose blocked the 4 circuit breakers, and I accidentally missed those breakers during the preflight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE THE ACFT IN ANY MODE CAUSED BY ALL PRESSURIZATION SYS CIRCUIT BREAKERS OPEN.

Narrative: WE DID AN AIR TURNBACK BECAUSE THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE IN AUTO, STANDBY, OR MANUAL MODES. WHEN WE PULLED BACK INTO THE GATE, THE FO PULLED HIS SEAT FORWARD AND WE FOUND 5 CIRCUIT BREAKERS OUT. MAINT HAD BROUGHT THE ACFT FROM THE HANGAR AND WE DID WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A NORMAL PREFLT, WHICH ACCORDING TO OUR PROCS INCLUDES 2 CHKS OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANELS. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE AND THE ACFT DID NOT PRESSURIZE, WE LEVELED AT 1000 FT AND I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, GAVE THE QRH TO THE FO WHO WENT THROUGH ALL THE PROCS. AS WE WERE CLBING, THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS CIRCUIT BREAKERS SINCE THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY PWR TO IT. WHILE THE FO WENT THROUGH THE QRH, I PULLED HIS L ARMREST FORWARD TO CHK THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL BEHIND HIM. JUST AS I WAS DOING THIS, ATC GAVE US A VECTOR HDG AND A DSCNT. I LOOKED AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND ACKNOWLEDGED ATC, BEGAN THE TURN AND DSCNT, AND WE RAN OUR CHKLISTS AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. 3 TIMES WE CHKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANELS AND 3 TIMES WE APPARENTLY MISSED 5 CIRCUIT BREAKERS OUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 387267: I LEARNED THE ACFT HAD BEEN IN MAINT BUT NO LOGBOOK WRITE-UP CONCERNING PRESSURIZATION. THE FO'S OXYGEN HOSE BLOCKED THE 4 CIRCUIT BREAKERS, AND I ACCIDENTALLY MISSED THOSE BREAKERS DURING THE PREFLT.

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.