Narrative:

We needed to do a bleeds off takeoff for performance reasons. As we taxied out; I forgot and shut the APU down. As tower cleared us for takeoff; we remembered about the bleeds off takeoff. Since our APU was shut down; I thought I would be clever and do an unpressurized takeoff to still get the performance that we needed and not waste any more time. In our hate we did not get the pressurization panel configured correctly. This caused us to get an automatic fail light about 2 mins after takeoff. We applied the QRH and put the pressurization controller in standby which extinguished the automatic fail light and returned the panel to a workable confign. When we applied the QRH we initially set the wrong altitude in the cabin altitude window which caused us to get a high cabin psid before the problem was corrected. Upon arrival in jax; we contacted maintenance and explained the situation. Maintenance elected to MEL the automatic function of the pressurization panel since the airplane's next stop was a maintenance base. The high cabin psid was not an issue with them. Upon review of the operations manual; I don't think I had the option of an unpressurized takeoff since my APU was operable. In any case; I used bad judgement by making a split-second decision that caused us to rush our checklist and preparation leading to our wrong confign of the pressurization panel which caused all of the subsequent maintenance problems. The few mins I saved was not worth the problems caused. Slow down; refer to reference materials if necessary; admit your mistake; stop and do it correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATTEMPTING TO SAVE TIME; A B737-300 CAPT ELECTED TO DEPART DEPRESSURIZED BUT GOT AN AUTO FAIL LIGHT FOLLOWED BY AN OVER PRESSURIZED CABIN.

Narrative: WE NEEDED TO DO A BLEEDS OFF TKOF FOR PERFORMANCE REASONS. AS WE TAXIED OUT; I FORGOT AND SHUT THE APU DOWN. AS TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF; WE REMEMBERED ABOUT THE BLEEDS OFF TKOF. SINCE OUR APU WAS SHUT DOWN; I THOUGHT I WOULD BE CLEVER AND DO AN UNPRESSURIZED TKOF TO STILL GET THE PERFORMANCE THAT WE NEEDED AND NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME. IN OUR HATE WE DID NOT GET THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL CONFIGURED CORRECTLY. THIS CAUSED US TO GET AN AUTO FAIL LIGHT ABOUT 2 MINS AFTER TKOF. WE APPLIED THE QRH AND PUT THE PRESSURIZATION CTLR IN STANDBY WHICH EXTINGUISHED THE AUTO FAIL LIGHT AND RETURNED THE PANEL TO A WORKABLE CONFIGN. WHEN WE APPLIED THE QRH WE INITIALLY SET THE WRONG ALT IN THE CABIN ALT WINDOW WHICH CAUSED US TO GET A HIGH CABIN PSID BEFORE THE PROB WAS CORRECTED. UPON ARR IN JAX; WE CONTACTED MAINT AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. MAINT ELECTED TO MEL THE AUTO FUNCTION OF THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL SINCE THE AIRPLANE'S NEXT STOP WAS A MAINT BASE. THE HIGH CABIN PSID WAS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THEM. UPON REVIEW OF THE OPS MANUAL; I DON'T THINK I HAD THE OPTION OF AN UNPRESSURIZED TKOF SINCE MY APU WAS OPERABLE. IN ANY CASE; I USED BAD JUDGEMENT BY MAKING A SPLIT-SECOND DECISION THAT CAUSED US TO RUSH OUR CHKLIST AND PREPARATION LEADING TO OUR WRONG CONFIGN OF THE PRESSURIZATION PANEL WHICH CAUSED ALL OF THE SUBSEQUENT MAINT PROBS. THE FEW MINS I SAVED WAS NOT WORTH THE PROBS CAUSED. SLOW DOWN; REFER TO REF MATERIALS IF NECESSARY; ADMIT YOUR MISTAKE; STOP AND DO IT CORRECTLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.