Narrative:

After takeoff and on departure out of mco, a number of small mechanical abnormalities occurred with our aircraft to include loss of TCASII, xponders #1 and #2, and autothrottles. This culminated with cabin altitude warning horn going off out of 17000 ft with cabin passing 10000 ft. The copilot who was already on the radio with company because of our transponder problems immediately donned oxygen mask and relayed our pressurization problem. Dispatch suggested a return to mco which the captain had already requested. The aircraft was turned 180 degrees back to omn for the arrival and lower was requested. The captain then donned oxygen and the loss of pressurization checklist was run. Because we were not getting the descent we needed to avoid the passenger oxygen masks from being deployed, the captain declared an emergency to get a descent quickly to 10000 ft. The descent was facilitated and once below 10000 ft, the flight crew removed oxygen masks. Flight attendants and passenger were briefed, all checklists were run and an uneventful approach and landing made at mco. Ground equipment was not requested because of the nature of the emergency. Later it was discovered that there was a history with this aircraft and this flight/ground sensing system. This problem potentially could have been anticipated and avoided if the flight crew were made aware of the history as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B732 CREW EXPERIENCED LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE AT 17000 FT DURING DEP CLB FROM MCO.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF AND ON DEP OUT OF MCO, A NUMBER OF SMALL MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES OCCURRED WITH OUR ACFT TO INCLUDE LOSS OF TCASII, XPONDERS #1 AND #2, AND AUTOTHROTTLES. THIS CULMINATED WITH CABIN ALT WARNING HORN GOING OFF OUT OF 17000 FT WITH CABIN PASSING 10000 FT. THE COPLT WHO WAS ALREADY ON THE RADIO WITH COMPANY BECAUSE OF OUR XPONDER PROBS IMMEDIATELY DONNED OXYGEN MASK AND RELAYED OUR PRESSURIZATION PROB. DISPATCH SUGGESTED A RETURN TO MCO WHICH THE CAPT HAD ALREADY REQUESTED. THE ACFT WAS TURNED 180 DEGS BACK TO OMN FOR THE ARR AND LOWER WAS REQUESTED. THE CAPT THEN DONNED OXYGEN AND THE LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION CHKLIST WAS RUN. BECAUSE WE WERE NOT GETTING THE DSCNT WE NEEDED TO AVOID THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS FROM BEING DEPLOYED, THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER TO GET A DSCNT QUICKLY TO 10000 FT. THE DSCNT WAS FACILITATED AND ONCE BELOW 10000 FT, THE FLC REMOVED OXYGEN MASKS. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE BRIEFED, ALL CHKLISTS WERE RUN AND AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG MADE AT MCO. GND EQUIP WAS NOT REQUESTED BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE EMER. LATER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A HISTORY WITH THIS ACFT AND THIS FLT/GND SENSING SYS. THIS PROB POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED AND AVOIDED IF THE FLC WERE MADE AWARE OF THE HISTORY AS WELL.

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.