Narrative:

We pushed back 30 mins late due to a missing aft cargo net and alley congestion. We took off on runway 25R. On takeoff roll, I noticed a slight pressure on my ears but not too excessive. I asked the first officer if he felt anything but he said no. Passing through 14000 ft, the cabin called and said the masks had deployed. I called for masks on and the qrc. We asked for lower and vectors west to avoid terrain. We descended to 10000 ft and I pulled up the pressurization page. Cabin pressurization was 1600 ft, vsi was zero and differential pressurization was 4.3. We still had not received any ecams or master cautions. I elected to go to manual pressure and closed the outflow valve 2/3 with still no indication to cabin pressurization or cabin vsi. We coordinated with maintenance dispatch and the flight attendants to return to lax for an overweight landing because the flight attendants had advised us of 5 passenger with bloody noses and 1 with ear problems. We briefed runway 25R (lax longest) and did the overweight checklist. The first officer contacted lax operations to expedite quick gate. An uneventful landing on runway 25R and taxied to gate with emergency equipment following for medical. The only ECAM we ever received was when I went to manual on the pressurization! An excellent job by first officer and flight attendants in communication and procedure. The passenger were very appreciative on their way out due to their efforts. Supplemental information from acn 506228: as we descended, we felt pressure build in our ears, and noticed the pressurization page indication appeared inaccurate. ATC coordination was excellent. We stayed on common frequency from the marker to gate with emergency vehicles joining us after runway turnoff. Flight attendants did an excellent job keeping us informed when appropriate and keeping the passenger calm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT RETURN LAND WITH PAX MEDICAL PROBS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF CABIN PRESSURE AFTER TKOF FROM LAX, CA.

Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK 30 MINS LATE DUE TO A MISSING AFT CARGO NET AND ALLEY CONGESTION. WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 25R. ON TKOF ROLL, I NOTICED A SLIGHT PRESSURE ON MY EARS BUT NOT TOO EXCESSIVE. I ASKED THE FO IF HE FELT ANYTHING BUT HE SAID NO. PASSING THROUGH 14000 FT, THE CABIN CALLED AND SAID THE MASKS HAD DEPLOYED. I CALLED FOR MASKS ON AND THE QRC. WE ASKED FOR LOWER AND VECTORS W TO AVOID TERRAIN. WE DSNDED TO 10000 FT AND I PULLED UP THE PRESSURIZATION PAGE. CABIN PRESSURIZATION WAS 1600 FT, VSI WAS ZERO AND DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURIZATION WAS 4.3. WE STILL HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY ECAMS OR MASTER CAUTIONS. I ELECTED TO GO TO MANUAL PRESSURE AND CLOSED THE OUTFLOW VALVE 2/3 WITH STILL NO INDICATION TO CABIN PRESSURIZATION OR CABIN VSI. WE COORDINATED WITH MAINT DISPATCH AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO RETURN TO LAX FOR AN OVERWT LNDG BECAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD ADVISED US OF 5 PAX WITH BLOODY NOSES AND 1 WITH EAR PROBS. WE BRIEFED RWY 25R (LAX LONGEST) AND DID THE OVERWT CHKLIST. THE FO CONTACTED LAX OPS TO EXPEDITE QUICK GATE. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 25R AND TAXIED TO GATE WITH EMER EQUIP FOLLOWING FOR MEDICAL. THE ONLY ECAM WE EVER RECEIVED WAS WHEN I WENT TO MANUAL ON THE PRESSURIZATION! AN EXCELLENT JOB BY FO AND FLT ATTENDANTS IN COM AND PROC. THE PAX WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE ON THEIR WAY OUT DUE TO THEIR EFFORTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 506228: AS WE DSNDED, WE FELT PRESSURE BUILD IN OUR EARS, AND NOTICED THE PRESSURIZATION PAGE INDICATION APPEARED INACCURATE. ATC COORD WAS EXCELLENT. WE STAYED ON COMMON FREQ FROM THE MARKER TO GATE WITH EMER VEHICLES JOINING US AFTER RWY TURNOFF. FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB KEEPING US INFORMED WHEN APPROPRIATE AND KEEPING THE PAX CALM.

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.