Date: 201306
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.TRACON, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: Thunderstorm
Light: Night
Aircraft: Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Aircraft component: Pressurization System
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Weather
Primary problem: Weather

Narrative: I arrived to the gate and the gate agent informed me the aircraft I was taking was an aircraft swap due to some maintenance issues.  I went to the plane; reviewed the paperwork; and noticed the right pack had just been deferred.  I met the First Officer and Flight Attendant; we loaded up the passengers; and departed. As we were taxing Ground Control informed us we would be pulling over onto the Pad at the end due to the closing of all eastbound departures because of weather. We sat on the Pad for approximately 10 minutes; then released as there was a small opening for us to go through. We departed with the APU on and the Bleeds on the APU. During the climb check the First Officer transferred the bleeds over to the engine after shutting the APU down; and informed me the bleeds were not transferring. I then directed that the autopilot be turned on; and I reviewed the situation. The R 10th SOV was not opening: it was only armed and would not open. The isolation valve was not opening; so essentially both packs were receiving 0 bleed air from the engines.  I then tried multiple times to recycle the bleeds to no avail. At approximately 12;000 feet MSL we received our first caution indication of display cool then followed by cabin pressurization.  I handed over the controls to the First Officer and stated that I would run the QRH and handle all the communications with Dispatch and MOC; and the First Officer would be the pilot flying and handling the radios.  We told ATC we needed to stop the climb and I ran the QRH for cabin pressurization. After unsuccessfully pressurizing the cabin; I elected to return to our departure airport. The aircraft was becoming extremely hot and we were having to dodge extreme thunderstorm cells. After I viewed the landing data via perf init; and the speed cards; I noticed we were going to land 1;000 LBS heavy at 48;100; but I decided an overweight landing was a better choice than to fly around with an extremely hot cabin Temp dodging severe weather for 30 min. The First Officer touched down at a very modest 300 ft/min descent and we returned to the gate. This aircraft had numerous write ups regarding the packs and bleeds. I feel my actions were the best for my passengers and the rest of my crew.




Synopsis: The flight crew of a CRJ-200 departed with the Right A/C Pac deferred and bleed air supplied to the left Pac by the APU. Once airborne; the APU was secured and the crew attempted to establish bleed air to the Left Pac without success. With no pressurization or conditioned air available; the aircraft returned to the departure airport and made an uneventful overweight landing.