Flight crew of an air carrier light transport aircraft returned to land after experiencing an aircra...

Attributes
ACN	242101
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl tower : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : student pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	242101
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon takeoff from bdl both pilots noticed pressurization problem by pressure on ears. After completing after takeoff checklist, the differential pressure rose to about 7.2 in the airplane at 3000 ft. I, as the PF, repeatedly questioned the captain if he would fix the problem by reading the checklist. By the time the captain realized what was happening, the pressure in the cabin was extreme to where I felt pain in my ears and could not hear much. The captain finally read the checklist after repeated requests from myself to do something about the problem. I then switched the pressurization controller to manual and manually opened the outflow valve to release the pressure. The captain was not very receptive to the problem or the cure for the problem. I noticed blood in the back of my throat and told the captain to turn back and return to bdl. He remarked that we could fly unpressurized to our destination at phl. I demanded we turn back as I did not feel well and asked him to fly the airplane so I could continue to monitor the pressurization problem, as he was not being of much assistance in that aspect. We landed without incident, where I removed myself from the trip to seek medical attention. I believe the cause of my condition was the captain's inability to recognize and correct the malfunction in a timely manner, until he was repeatedly questioned. A second contributing factor was the captain's apparent lack of knowledge of the pressurization system or ways to control it at the time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR LTT ACFT RETURNED TO LAND AFTER EXPERIENCING AN ACFT PRESSURIZATION PROB RESULTING IN PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT TO THE FLYING FO.

Narrative: UPON TKOF FROM BDL BOTH PLTS NOTICED PRESSURIZATION PROB BY PRESSURE ON EARS. AFTER COMPLETING AFTER TKOF CHKLIST, THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE ROSE TO ABOUT 7.2 IN THE AIRPLANE AT 3000 FT. I, AS THE PF, REPEATEDLY QUESTIONED THE CAPT IF HE WOULD FIX THE PROB BY READING THE CHKLIST. BY THE TIME THE CAPT REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THE PRESSURE IN THE CABIN WAS EXTREME TO WHERE I FELT PAIN IN MY EARS AND COULD NOT HEAR MUCH. THE CAPT FINALLY READ THE CHKLIST AFTER REPEATED REQUESTS FROM MYSELF TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROB. I THEN SWITCHED THE PRESSURIZATION CTLR TO MANUAL AND MANUALLY OPENED THE OUTFLOW VALVE TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE. THE CAPT WAS NOT VERY RECEPTIVE TO THE PROB OR THE CURE FOR THE PROB. I NOTICED BLOOD IN THE BACK OF MY THROAT AND TOLD THE CAPT TO TURN BACK AND RETURN TO BDL. HE REMARKED THAT WE COULD FLY UNPRESSURIZED TO OUR DEST AT PHL. I DEMANDED WE TURN BACK AS I DID NOT FEEL WELL AND ASKED HIM TO FLY THE AIRPLANE SO I COULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PRESSURIZATION PROB, AS HE WAS NOT BEING OF MUCH ASSISTANCE IN THAT ASPECT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, WHERE I REMOVED MYSELF FROM THE TRIP TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTN. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF MY CONDITION WAS THE CAPT'S INABILITY TO RECOGNIZE AND CORRECT THE MALFUNCTION IN A TIMELY MANNER, UNTIL HE WAS REPEATEDLY QUESTIONED. A SECOND CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE CAPT'S APPARENT LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRESSURIZATION SYS OR WAYS TO CTL IT AT THE TIME.

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.

Flight crew of an air carrier light transport aircraft returned to land after experiencing an aircraft pressurization problem resulting in physical discomfort to the flying first officer.