Air Carrier Pilot Crew reported not following SOP's and failed to turn the air conditioning packs on prior to takeoff. During climb the cabin was unpressurized; the high cabin altitude warning activated; the crew descended and reset the system; and continued to the destination.
Synopsis
Air Carrier Pilot Crew reported not following SOP's and failed to turn the air conditioning packs on prior to takeoff. During climb the cabin was unpressurized; the high cabin altitude warning activated; the crew descended and reset the system; and continued to the destination.
Narrative
Before departing ZZZ this morning on flight XXXX; the Captain and myself decided to perform a reset on the packs to try and recalibrate them. The Captain set a timer to remember to put them back into the auto position. We ended up getting busy and not remembering to reset them to auto. After departure from ZZZ and climbing through 10;000 ft. we got a cabin press warning. We immediately knew what it was and out the pack back into auto. We then followed the cabin press warning failure checklist as well as subsequent pressurization fail checklist.Once we completed the checklist; we noted the cabin beginning to pressurize; we then attempted to continue a climb to FL210. As we started climbing we got another cabin press warning. We ran the same checklists again; except we waited a little longer until the cabin pressure was around 7;000. We believe the second cabin press warning was due to not waiting long enough before starting the second climb. When we initially started the second climb; the cabin pressure was below 9;000. This happened during the Pilot Monitoring 10;000 flow. Possible checklist on the ground check off the packs being in auto.
Second reporter narrative
Climbing through 10;500 ft. or there about cabin press master warning illuminated. I; as Pilot Flying; leveled off and we were able to request and receive clearance back to 10. As soon as the warning went off I remembered that on the ground I had attempted a reset of the packs and had turned both packs to the off position. I had failed to return them to the auto position and did not catch my mistake with the checklists. We leveled at 10 as we read though the checklist. After conclusion of the checklist with the knowledge that this issue had been caused by the packs being in the off position; I elected to continue the climb.Shortly after continuing the climb the cabin press warning again illuminated and we again returned to 10. We were pretty certain that we had just started our climb too quickly after turning the packs back on but I elected to call Maintenance and see if they had any other thoughts. After discussion with Dispatch and Maintenance as well as noting that the cabin altitude was in fact decreasing I elected to climb up to 15. We climbed up to 15 and continued on to our destination without any other pressurization issues.I can take away from this situation the importance of slowing down and not getting ahead of myself. On the ground when I elected to attempt the reset I was also doing other things and forgot to come back to the packs. I also learned the importance of not only stating that bleeds are on in the checklist but verifying that the packs are on as well.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.