Narrative:

Unable to pressurize on climb out from ord. Upon arrival at stl, found passenger luggage lock wedged between aft cargo door frame and door. Front part of door where light sensor switch is was flush. Aft part of door was open 2-4 inches. Stl personnel took pictures. On departure from ord, we leveled out at 5000 ft. First officer ran the pressurization flow light/unscheduled cabin climb checklist. I then took my turn at running the checklist. We climbed up to 8000 ft and still had problems. Air carrier maintenance verified that if the packs are working, the outflow valve is closed and we are not pressurizing, there is a hole in the airframe and we should land. Dispatch told us to go back to ord. We were vectored for ord, then placed in holding. WX moved into ord and we were given an indefinite hold. We were vectored for the approach to ord. 2 aircraft ahead of us on final went around due to windshear. We told approach we needed a 240 degree heading away from the WX. Approach told us to continue ahead and call tower. Rather than fly through purple and red returns, I headed 240 degrees. Tower sent us to departure. Dispatch said they wanted us in stl, but they could not generate any data for a flight at 6000 ft. Ord departure had said all aircraft going around had to go to their alternate. We guessed, based on our fuel flow and distance to stl, that we could go there. Besides we had other airports to land at along the way.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTED THAT HIS ACFT WAS UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE AFTER DEPARTING ORD DUE TO THE AFT CARGO DOOR BEING CLOSED IMPROPERLY.

Narrative: UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE ON CLBOUT FROM ORD. UPON ARR AT STL, FOUND PAX LUGGAGE LOCK WEDGED BTWN AFT CARGO DOOR FRAME AND DOOR. FRONT PART OF DOOR WHERE LIGHT SENSOR SWITCH IS WAS FLUSH. AFT PART OF DOOR WAS OPEN 2-4 INCHES. STL PERSONNEL TOOK PICTURES. ON DEP FROM ORD, WE LEVELED OUT AT 5000 FT. FO RAN THE PRESSURIZATION FLOW LIGHT/UNSCHEDULED CABIN CLB CHKLIST. I THEN TOOK MY TURN AT RUNNING THE CHKLIST. WE CLBED UP TO 8000 FT AND STILL HAD PROBS. ACR MAINT VERIFIED THAT IF THE PACKS ARE WORKING, THE OUTFLOW VALVE IS CLOSED AND WE ARE NOT PRESSURIZING, THERE IS A HOLE IN THE AIRFRAME AND WE SHOULD LAND. DISPATCH TOLD US TO GO BACK TO ORD. WE WERE VECTORED FOR ORD, THEN PLACED IN HOLDING. WX MOVED INTO ORD AND WE WERE GIVEN AN INDEFINITE HOLD. WE WERE VECTORED FOR THE APCH TO ORD. 2 ACFT AHEAD OF US ON FINAL WENT AROUND DUE TO WINDSHEAR. WE TOLD APCH WE NEEDED A 240 DEG HDG AWAY FROM THE WX. APCH TOLD US TO CONTINUE AHEAD AND CALL TWR. RATHER THAN FLY THROUGH PURPLE AND RED RETURNS, I HEADED 240 DEGS. TWR SENT US TO DEP. DISPATCH SAID THEY WANTED US IN STL, BUT THEY COULD NOT GENERATE ANY DATA FOR A FLT AT 6000 FT. ORD DEP HAD SAID ALL ACFT GOING AROUND HAD TO GO TO THEIR ALTERNATE. WE GUESSED, BASED ON OUR FUEL FLOW AND DISTANCE TO STL, THAT WE COULD GO THERE. BESIDES WE HAD OTHER ARPTS TO LAND AT ALONG THE WAY.

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.