Narrative:

After gear up we noticed loud wind noise from captain sliding window; then noise from first officer window. I performed after takeoff checklist. At this point only noise from windows. Clearance was to 5000 ft. Reaching about 3000 ft the first officer engaged the 'B' autoplt. The airplane leveled off at 5000 ft. I pushed on the window with my hand; then my forearm. This helped with the noise which was getting very loud. Then we were cleared to 9000 ft. After climbing through 6000 ft or 7000 ft; we received an annunciator caution. It was an automatic-fail of the pressurization system. I took control of the airplane and the radios. The first officer ran the checklist for the automatic-fail system. I was holding pressure on the window to reduce the noise and talking with departure and told them we were having a pressurization problem and needed to return to the field. We accomplished all appropriate checklists and could not get the cabin pressure under control with the standby or the manual system; so we depressurized the airplane as directed by the checklist and returned to the field. I was cleared down to 8000 ft then vectored to runway 28 for the approach which was a visual to runway 28. With the workload that we had; we were not able to contact our company dispatch to inform them we were returning to the field. We did not declare an emergency because I did not feel that it was needed for the situation that we had. Everything was done according to air carrier SOP except for contacting dispatch which was done on the ground by telephone. We were informed that they had been contacted by the FAA to find out what had happened and wanted to know why we did not contact them. Under the circumstances that occurred and to operate the airplane safely; there was not enough time to contact dispatch while in the air. The airplane was landed safely at legal landing weight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the window seal had been replaced the previous night and that it failed to seat properly; causing the air leak. On the ground maintenance reseated the seal and it functioned properly. The pressurization issue was solved by switching to standby. During pressurization system testing; all indications were normal. The flight departed for its original destination without further problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CAPT'S WINDOW AIR LEAK PREVENTED THE ACFT FROM PRESSURIZING AFTER TKOF. FLT RETURNED TO LAND BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER.

Narrative: AFTER GEAR UP WE NOTICED LOUD WIND NOISE FROM CAPT SLIDING WINDOW; THEN NOISE FROM FO WINDOW. I PERFORMED AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. AT THIS POINT ONLY NOISE FROM WINDOWS. CLRNC WAS TO 5000 FT. REACHING ABOUT 3000 FT THE FO ENGAGED THE 'B' AUTOPLT. THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT. I PUSHED ON THE WINDOW WITH MY HAND; THEN MY FOREARM. THIS HELPED WITH THE NOISE WHICH WAS GETTING VERY LOUD. THEN WE WERE CLRED TO 9000 FT. AFTER CLBING THROUGH 6000 FT OR 7000 FT; WE RECEIVED AN ANNUNCIATOR CAUTION. IT WAS AN AUTO-FAIL OF THE PRESSURIZATION SYS. I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE RADIOS. THE FO RAN THE CHKLIST FOR THE AUTO-FAIL SYS. I WAS HOLDING PRESSURE ON THE WINDOW TO REDUCE THE NOISE AND TALKING WITH DEP AND TOLD THEM WE WERE HAVING A PRESSURIZATION PROB AND NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND COULD NOT GET THE CABIN PRESSURE UNDER CTL WITH THE STANDBY OR THE MANUAL SYS; SO WE DEPRESSURIZED THE AIRPLANE AS DIRECTED BY THE CHKLIST AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD. I WAS CLRED DOWN TO 8000 FT THEN VECTORED TO RWY 28 FOR THE APCH WHICH WAS A VISUAL TO RWY 28. WITH THE WORKLOAD THAT WE HAD; WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTACT OUR COMPANY DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM WE WERE RETURNING TO THE FIELD. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS NEEDED FOR THE SITUATION THAT WE HAD. EVERYTHING WAS DONE ACCORDING TO ACR SOP EXCEPT FOR CONTACTING DISPATCH WHICH WAS DONE ON THE GND BY TELEPHONE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN CONTACTED BY THE FAA TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE DID NOT CONTACT THEM. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT OCCURRED AND TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE SAFELY; THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO CONTACT DISPATCH WHILE IN THE AIR. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED SAFELY AT LEGAL LNDG WT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THE WINDOW SEAL HAD BEEN REPLACED THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND THAT IT FAILED TO SEAT PROPERLY; CAUSING THE AIR LEAK. ON THE GND MAINTENANCE RESEATED THE SEAL AND IT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE PRESSURIZATION ISSUE WAS SOLVED BY SWITCHING TO STANDBY. DURING PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM TESTING; ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE FLT DEPARTED FOR ITS ORIGINAL DESTINATION WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.