ACR LGT HAD TO DSND RAPIDLY BECAUSE OF PRESSURIZATION PROBLEMS.

Narrative

ON 11/FRI/91; I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT FROM ST LOUIS TO KANSAS CITY. FO WAS FLYING ACFT. WE HAD JUST LEVELED AT FL260. CRUISE PWR HAD JUST BEEN SET. CABIN ALT WAS ABOUT 2500 FT. I NOTICED PRESSURE CHANGE IN MY EARS. I ASKED FLT ENGINEER IF HE COULD CTL CABIN PRESSURE. HE SAID HE WAS WORKING ON IT. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER HE SAID HE COULDN'T CTL CABIN AND THAT WE BETTER GET DOWN TO A LOWER ALT. I ASKED FOR DSCNT TO 10000 FT. KANSAS CITY CENTER CLRED US TO 10000 FT AND ASKED WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF OUR PROBLEM. I TOLD CENTER HAT WE WERE HAVING CABIN PRESSURE PROBLEMS. HE ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. I TOLD HIM WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER. WE USED SPD BRAKES TO GET DOWN QUICKLY; CABIN PRESSURE GOT UP TO ABOUT 10500 FT. FLT ENGINEER REGAINED CTL OF CABIN AS WE WERE DSNDING. CABIN PRESSURE WARNING HORN WENT OFF BUT PAX OXYGEN MASKS DID NOT DROP. I USED THE PA TO INFORM PAX WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND TOLD THEM TO RING CALL BUTTON IF THEY HAD ANY DISCOMFORT. 1 PAX RPTED SOME DISCOMFORT BECAUSE OF PLUGGED EARS FROM COLD. I ELECTED TO STAY AT 10000 FT BECAUSE WE WOULD NORMALLY BE DSNDING TO LAND AT KANSAS CITY AT THAT POINT. WE WROTE UP THE PRESSURE PROBLEM IN THE LOGBOOK AFTER WE LANDED IN KANSAS CITY.