Narrative:

Flight from lga to bwi. Aircraft unpressurized, limited to 10000 ft. Clearance was via sax, sbj V30 etx, 39 lpr 499. Taxied out and got in line. Thunderstorms approached and ground stop issued. Everyone in line shut down engines. After about 45 mins on the ground, lga ground told us to call clearance for a rerte. The first officer picked up the clearance as I monitored ground and watched the planes approaching runway 4 go around. I heard the 2 fixes and reset my radios. The new clearance was, biggy V3 modena. After over 1 hour on the ground, we were released. We took off, flew the flushing climb and contacted departure. Departure control told us to turn left heading 360 degrees and climb and maintain 14000 ft. We told him we were unable due to pressurization. He asked what our clearance route was. I told him. He said minimum altitude for that route of flight was 14000 ft, and we accepted the clearance. I told him I was unaware that our cruise altitude had been changed from the original 8000 ft. The first officer then informed me that it had and that the pressurization problem had slipped her mind. We were then given a heading and 8000 ft, and told we may have to hold. After a few mins, we were put back on our original route of flight. On being handed off, I apologized for the confusion. The controller, although somewhat perturbed throughout the incident, said no problem. When we received the new clearance, I should have asked for a new departure brief and I would have probably caught the problem. The first officer and myself were concerned that he thought we took the clearance merely to get out of lga. I do not feel safety was compromised.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT CREW WAS CLRED ABOVE 10000 FT, WITH ACFT PRESSURIZATION SYS MEL'ED INOP.

Narrative: FLT FROM LGA TO BWI. ACFT UNPRESSURIZED, LIMITED TO 10000 FT. CLRNC WAS VIA SAX, SBJ V30 ETX, 39 LPR 499. TAXIED OUT AND GOT IN LINE. TSTMS APCHED AND GND STOP ISSUED. EVERYONE IN LINE SHUT DOWN ENGS. AFTER ABOUT 45 MINS ON THE GND, LGA GND TOLD US TO CALL CLRNC FOR A RERTE. THE FO PICKED UP THE CLRNC AS I MONITORED GND AND WATCHED THE PLANES APCHING RWY 4 GO AROUND. I HEARD THE 2 FIXES AND RESET MY RADIOS. THE NEW CLRNC WAS, BIGGY V3 MODENA. AFTER OVER 1 HR ON THE GND, WE WERE RELEASED. WE TOOK OFF, FLEW THE FLUSHING CLB AND CONTACTED DEP. DEP CTL TOLD US TO TURN L HDG 360 DEGS AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 14000 FT. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO PRESSURIZATION. HE ASKED WHAT OUR CLRNC RTE WAS. I TOLD HIM. HE SAID MINIMUM ALT FOR THAT RTE OF FLT WAS 14000 FT, AND WE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC. I TOLD HIM I WAS UNAWARE THAT OUR CRUISE ALT HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM THE ORIGINAL 8000 FT. THE FO THEN INFORMED ME THAT IT HAD AND THAT THE PRESSURIZATION PROB HAD SLIPPED HER MIND. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A HDG AND 8000 FT, AND TOLD WE MAY HAVE TO HOLD. AFTER A FEW MINS, WE WERE PUT BACK ON OUR ORIGINAL RTE OF FLT. ON BEING HANDED OFF, I APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION. THE CTLR, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT PERTURBED THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT, SAID NO PROB. WHEN WE RECEIVED THE NEW CLRNC, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A NEW DEP BRIEF AND I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY CAUGHT THE PROB. THE FO AND MYSELF WERE CONCERNED THAT HE THOUGHT WE TOOK THE CLRNC MERELY TO GET OUT OF LGA. I DO NOT FEEL SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED.

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.