Air carrier medium large transport pressurization problem return and land.

Attributes
ACN	86910
Time
Date	198805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 26000
ASRS Report	86901
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Passing approximately 14000' call from F/a. First officer answered. I said, 'it's too hot for them.' while first officer picked up phone I noticed cabin pressure was pegged up and hit manual lever and told him get pressure and leveled off and got clearance for 15000'. He got pressure back, but O2 masks had fallen. Returned to den. I don't think we did anything wrong in this case except the pressurization worked ok in automatic after we tried it later. Also, we were slow to recognize the cabin going up (maybe). The aircraft had 4 placards, 1 was for cabin altitude warning (red) light (light had been written up as coming on intermittently). Horn and light supposed to come on at 10000'--neither did. I'm not sure when we started losing pressure, but the master warning, if we had gotten it, would have given us time to stop it from going through 14000'. Also, should we have noticed the pressure change (ears, etc) sooner?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM RETURN AND LAND.

Narrative: PASSING APPROX 14000' CALL FROM F/A. F/O ANSWERED. I SAID, 'IT'S TOO HOT FOR THEM.' WHILE F/O PICKED UP PHONE I NOTICED CABIN PRESSURE WAS PEGGED UP AND HIT MANUAL LEVER AND TOLD HIM GET PRESSURE AND LEVELED OFF AND GOT CLRNC FOR 15000'. HE GOT PRESSURE BACK, BUT O2 MASKS HAD FALLEN. RETURNED TO DEN. I DON'T THINK WE DID ANYTHING WRONG IN THIS CASE EXCEPT THE PRESSURIZATION WORKED OK IN AUTO AFTER WE TRIED IT LATER. ALSO, WE WERE SLOW TO RECOGNIZE THE CABIN GOING UP (MAYBE). THE ACFT HAD 4 PLACARDS, 1 WAS FOR CABIN ALT WARNING (RED) LIGHT (LIGHT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP AS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY). HORN AND LIGHT SUPPOSED TO COME ON AT 10000'--NEITHER DID. I'M NOT SURE WHEN WE STARTED LOSING PRESSURE, BUT THE MASTER WARNING, IF WE HAD GOTTEN IT, WOULD HAVE GIVEN US TIME TO STOP IT FROM GOING THROUGH 14000'. ALSO, SHOULD WE HAVE NOTICED THE PRESSURE CHANGE (EARS, ETC) SOONER?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.