Narrative:

The flight was a continual set of stop and goes. Minor maintenance items to be fixed or deferred, ATC delay, deferred item. We taxied out on 3 engines (light weight) to save fuel. Started #3 engine while stopped at taxiway M, abeam the east end of runway 27L. Taxied up taxiway M and into position for takeoff on runway 22L. Called for final items and cleared for takeoff as we crossed the hold line. Got to the recall items as we were lining up. I saw a yellow item, but we expected that due to deferral of satcom. (Turns out it was there) as I pushed up the power, the copilot said 'what's this?' we were rolling at low speed. I saw cabin altitude. Thought it was one of the 2 system, so I said we can fix it in the air. In fact, it should have fixed itself automatically if it was just one. Copilot said I concur and we took off. It was evident soon that neither automatic system was working. We went to manual by the checklist and it worked fine. We leveled at 10000 ft with ATC to make sure it was controllable. It was. Message at top of screen, about the deferred item, as 'cabin attendant altitude automatic.' we called maintenance controller through dispatch. He had us reset circuit breakers to no avail. Both a and B were inoperative. We operated in manual throughout the flight. Stayed at 35000 ft with concurrence of dispatch to avoid changing. Used 6000 ft cabin altitude per checklist. Flew to sfo with no unusual occurrence. Descent had some spikes in rate, but was not bad. Some ear pressure. When we landed a few flight attendants complained of headache and feeling light headed. The cockpit crew was fine. The aircraft had come from hangar and been on the ground for a day or so. Still, we had no indication of a problem until we did the recall. None that we saw. We expected to see an item there, and by the time my misinterp of the problem, allowed me to take off. The only other thing is that the flight manual procedure does not seem to work well coming down. Big spikes in cabin rate of change. This procedure might need to be reviewed and revisited, as to when to turn off the last pack.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CREW TOOK OFF WITH EICAS WARNING OF 'CAB ALT AUTO.' BOTH AUTO PRESSURIZATION CTLRS WERE INOP. THE CREW WAS REQUIRED TO CTL CABIN PRESSURE MANUALLY.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A CONTINUAL SET OF STOP AND GOES. MINOR MAINT ITEMS TO BE FIXED OR DEFERRED, ATC DELAY, DEFERRED ITEM. WE TAXIED OUT ON 3 ENGS (LIGHT WT) TO SAVE FUEL. STARTED #3 ENG WHILE STOPPED AT TXWY M, ABEAM THE E END OF RWY 27L. TAXIED UP TXWY M AND INTO POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 22L. CALLED FOR FINAL ITEMS AND CLRED FOR TKOF AS WE CROSSED THE HOLD LINE. GOT TO THE RECALL ITEMS AS WE WERE LINING UP. I SAW A YELLOW ITEM, BUT WE EXPECTED THAT DUE TO DEFERRAL OF SATCOM. (TURNS OUT IT WAS THERE) AS I PUSHED UP THE PWR, THE COPLT SAID 'WHAT'S THIS?' WE WERE ROLLING AT LOW SPD. I SAW CABIN ALT. THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF THE 2 SYS, SO I SAID WE CAN FIX IT IN THE AIR. IN FACT, IT SHOULD HAVE FIXED ITSELF AUTOMATICALLY IF IT WAS JUST ONE. COPLT SAID I CONCUR AND WE TOOK OFF. IT WAS EVIDENT SOON THAT NEITHER AUTOMATIC SYS WAS WORKING. WE WENT TO MANUAL BY THE CHKLIST AND IT WORKED FINE. WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT WITH ATC TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CONTROLLABLE. IT WAS. MESSAGE AT TOP OF SCREEN, ABOUT THE DEFERRED ITEM, AS 'CAB ALT AUTO.' WE CALLED MAINT CTLR THROUGH DISPATCH. HE HAD US RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO NO AVAIL. BOTH A AND B WERE INOP. WE OPERATED IN MANUAL THROUGHOUT THE FLT. STAYED AT 35000 FT WITH CONCURRENCE OF DISPATCH TO AVOID CHANGING. USED 6000 FT CABIN ALT PER CHKLIST. FLEW TO SFO WITH NO UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. DSCNT HAD SOME SPIKES IN RATE, BUT WAS NOT BAD. SOME EAR PRESSURE. WHEN WE LANDED A FEW FLT ATTENDANTS COMPLAINED OF HEADACHE AND FEELING LIGHT HEADED. THE COCKPIT CREW WAS FINE. THE ACFT HAD COME FROM HANGAR AND BEEN ON THE GND FOR A DAY OR SO. STILL, WE HAD NO INDICATION OF A PROB UNTIL WE DID THE RECALL. NONE THAT WE SAW. WE EXPECTED TO SEE AN ITEM THERE, AND BY THE TIME MY MISINTERP OF THE PROB, ALLOWED ME TO TAKE OFF. THE ONLY OTHER THING IS THAT THE FLT MANUAL PROC DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK WELL COMING DOWN. BIG SPIKES IN CABIN RATE OF CHANGE. THIS PROC MIGHT NEED TO BE REVIEWED AND REVISITED, AS TO WHEN TO TURN OFF THE LAST PACK.

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.