COMMUTER FLC CLBS TO 17000 FT WITHOUT PRESSURIZATION.

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MY CAPT AND I CLBED TO 17000 FT MSL UNPRESSURIZED. A VISUAL CHK OF THE PRESSURIZATION KNOB (3 POS LEVER) FALSELY CONFIRMED THAT 'PRESSURIZATION WAS CHKED AND SET;' PER OUR CHKLIST. A PHYSICAL MANUAL CHK OF THE LEVER WOULD HAVE VERIFIED ITS POS; WHICH WAS 'DUMP.' ALSO; MORE EMPHASIS ON A PHYSICAL CHK OF THE LEVER'S POS DURING INITIAL FLT TRAINING WOULD HELP PREVENT THE PROB IN THE FUTURE. WE EXPERIENCED MILD HYPOXIA; AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO 9000 MSL. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO NOT NOTICING OUR CABIN ALT INCLUDE: PREOCCUPATION WITH COM WITH COMPANY IN ORDER TO BE RE-RELEASED TO LGA AFTER 2 MISSED APCHS AT ELM. A VERY GRADUAL CLBOUT WHILE WAITING FOR OUR NEW RELEASE: WE DIDN'T NOTICE THE CABIN PRESSURE PHYSICALLY. AN INOP CABIN ALT WARNING SYS. IT DIDN'T WORK! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 254834: FACTORS INVOLVED; WHICH THOUGH SMALL; I FEEL THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNSAFE SIT. FIRST; THE ACFT; BEING AN ORIGINATOR AT A MAINT BASE; WAS LATE COMING FROM THE HANGAR. THERE WAS A PROB WITH LOW IDLE ON ONE OF THE ENGS. BECAUSE OF THE MECHS BEING PRESSURED FOR TIME; I FEEL THE PRESSURIZATION SWITCH; WHICH CAUSED OUR PROB LATER IN THE MORNING; WAS NOT RESET TO ITS NORMAL POS. THE MECHS DO MORNING RUN-UPS AND THIS SYS; AFTER TESTING; WAS PROBABLY NOT RESET. IN OUR HASTE; AS A CREW TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME; WE OBVIOUSLY OVERLOOKED THE SWITCH. I STARTED TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE PHYSICALLY AS WE CLBED THROUGH 15000 FT. AFTER LEVELING AT 17000 FT; I STILL FELT TERRIBLE. AFTER LOOKING THE INSTS OVER; I REALIZED; ALONG WITH THE FO; THAT WE WERE UNPRESSURIZED. THE FO IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR LOWER ALT. WE DSNDED TO 9000 FT AND CONTINUED TO LGA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.