Commuter captain's complaint about poor company maintenance.

Attributes
ACN	124262
Time
Date	198910
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	124262
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

MEL calls for 1 of 2 air cycle machines to be working, with the restriction that if 1 is inoperative, other must provide for adequate heating and cooling for normal operations. Picked up aircraft at home maintenance base and the left air conditioning group was inoperative. Flew one leg and squawked other air conditioning group as not providing adequate cooling. Since we were at an outstation, maintenance control elected to defer the pressurization system so that we could fly the aircraft back to a maintenance base. I argued about this, believing that it didn't address the problem, which had been recurring. Finally maintenance convinced me to fly the aircraft. Contributing to my decision were problems that we, as a company, have been having staying in business. I didn't want to lose a full load of passenger and the associated revenue. Also feared some retaliation from management if the plane was grounded at an outstation. After repeated squawks concerning the same problem on this aircraft and others, I've become convinced that the FAA does not monitor our maintenance enough and that the FAA doesn't want to make waves. I've even called our pmi to ask him to persist in his efforts to make these air conditioning safe, but he's never around. Feel we've been abandoned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER CAPT'S COMPLAINT ABOUT POOR COMPANY MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: MEL CALLS FOR 1 OF 2 AIR CYCLE MACHINES TO BE WORKING, WITH THE RESTRICTION THAT IF 1 IS INOP, OTHER MUST PROVIDE FOR ADEQUATE HEATING AND COOLING FOR NORMAL OPERATIONS. PICKED UP ACFT AT HOME MAINT BASE AND THE LEFT AIR CONDITIONING GROUP WAS INOP. FLEW ONE LEG AND SQUAWKED OTHER AIR CONDITIONING GROUP AS NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE COOLING. SINCE WE WERE AT AN OUTSTATION, MAINT CONTROL ELECTED TO DEFER THE PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM SO THAT WE COULD FLY THE ACFT BACK TO A MAINT BASE. I ARGUED ABOUT THIS, BELIEVING THAT IT DIDN'T ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, WHICH HAD BEEN RECURRING. FINALLY MAINT CONVINCED ME TO FLY THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTING TO MY DECISION WERE PROBLEMS THAT WE, AS A COMPANY, HAVE BEEN HAVING STAYING IN BUSINESS. I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE A FULL LOAD OF PAX AND THE ASSOCIATED REVENUE. ALSO FEARED SOME RETALIATION FROM MANAGEMENT IF THE PLANE WAS GROUNDED AT AN OUTSTATION. AFTER REPEATED SQUAWKS CONCERNING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS ACFT AND OTHERS, I'VE BECOME CONVINCED THAT THE FAA DOES NOT MONITOR OUR MAINT ENOUGH AND THAT THE FAA DOESN'T WANT TO MAKE WAVES. I'VE EVEN CALLED OUR PMI TO ASK HIM TO PERSIST IN HIS EFFORTS TO MAKE THESE AIR CONDITIONING SAFE, BUT HE'S NEVER AROUND. FEEL WE'VE BEEN ABANDONED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.