B727 pressurization problem resulted in return land at originating airport.

Attributes
ACN	308902
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 171 flight time total : 13436 flight time type : 9111
ASRS Report	308902
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight from atl - jfk. The takeoff and climb were uneventful with all checklists completed. Just as we were reaching FL290 we heard an intermittent warning horn and noticed that the cabin was at 10000 ft. We leveled off and while the so was going through the checklist we got clearance to descend. During descent, I transferred aircraft control to the first officer. The so, a line check airman, and I were trouble-shooting the problem. We were unable to control the cabin so we performed loss of pressurization and emergency descent checklist. We descended to 8000 ft and the cabin did not rise above 12000 ft. While descending, I briefed the customer service coordinator about the problem. He then informed me that one of the passenger was feeling 'light headed' and that the other flight attendant also felt somewhat 'light headed.' I elected to manually deploy the oxygen masks. The passenger were informed before deployment. Approximately 8000 ft, I decided to declare an emergency in order to get priority handling. We received clearance for a visual approach to runway 26R at the originating airport. I flew a stabilized ILS approach to land with all checklists completed. The landing was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 PRESSURIZATION PROB RESULTED IN RETURN LAND AT ORIGINATING ARPT.

Narrative: FLT FROM ATL - JFK. THE TKOF AND CLB WERE UNEVENTFUL WITH ALL CHKLISTS COMPLETED. JUST AS WE WERE REACHING FL290 WE HEARD AN INTERMITTENT WARNING HORN AND NOTICED THAT THE CABIN WAS AT 10000 FT. WE LEVELED OFF AND WHILE THE SO WAS GOING THROUGH THE CHKLIST WE GOT CLRNC TO DSND. DURING DSCNT, I TRANSFERRED ACFT CTL TO THE FO. THE SO, A LINE CHK AIRMAN, AND I WERE TROUBLE-SHOOTING THE PROB. WE WERE UNABLE TO CTL THE CABIN SO WE PERFORMED LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION AND EMER DSCNT CHKLIST. WE DSNDED TO 8000 FT AND THE CABIN DID NOT RISE ABOVE 12000 FT. WHILE DSNDING, I BRIEFED THE CUSTOMER SVC COORDINATOR ABOUT THE PROB. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT ONE OF THE PAX WAS FEELING 'LIGHT HEADED' AND THAT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT ALSO FELT SOMEWHAT 'LIGHT HEADED.' I ELECTED TO MANUALLY DEPLOY THE OXYGEN MASKS. THE PAX WERE INFORMED BEFORE DEPLOYMENT. APPROX 8000 FT, I DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO GET PRIORITY HANDLING. WE RECEIVED CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26R AT THE ORIGINATING ARPT. I FLEW A STABILIZED ILS APCH TO LAND WITH ALL CHKLISTS COMPLETED. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.