B737-400 suffers pressurization control failure. Initiates emergency descent. Recovers pressurization control via back up system and returns to departure airport.

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Attributes
ACN	600859
Time
Date	200311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx.airport
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl single value : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	600859
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cabin alt warning horn other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Climbing through FL290 for FL330, cabin altitude horn activated. Silenced horn, called for rapid depressurization and emergency descent checklist. Completed checklist. Went to manual dc and got control of cabin as we were descending to a lower altitude. Called flight attendants and seated them and made sure passenger announcement was made. I caught problem early enough that passenger masks did not deploy. Operated system in standby. Returned to pdx without further incident. This was successful because abnormal pressurization was caught early.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 SUFFERS PRESSURIZATION CTL FAILURE. INITIATES EMER DSCNT. RECOVERS PRESSURIZATION CTL VIA BACK UP SYS AND RETURNS TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH FL290 FOR FL330, CABIN ALT HORN ACTIVATED. SILENCED HORN, CALLED FOR RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION AND EMER DSCNT CHKLIST. COMPLETED CHKLIST. WENT TO MANUAL DC AND GOT CTL OF CABIN AS WE WERE DSNDING TO A LOWER ALT. CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS AND SEATED THEM AND MADE SURE PAX ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE. I CAUGHT PROB EARLY ENOUGH THAT PAX MASKS DID NOT DEPLOY. OPERATED SYS IN STANDBY. RETURNED TO PDX WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE ABNORMAL PRESSURIZATION WAS CAUGHT EARLY.

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.