Narrative:

We were assigned an aircraft with 1 air conditioning pack inoperative. Maintenance had correctly used the MEL to clear the maintenance item for later repair, and released the saab 340 for flight. The MEL'ed air conditioning pack was the sole source of air conditioned air for the passenger cabin. The operative air conditioning pack supplied the cockpit only. The first leg to eyw from mia had 34 passenger (full), with a takeoff outside air temperature of 87 degrees F. Soon after the ground power/air conditioning cart was removed and taxi started, cabin temperature approached 30 degrees C (87 degrees F). During the 40 min flight, cabin temperature hovered at 30-32 degrees C. Upon deplaning at eyw, passenger expressed extreme discontent. In order to provide some relief for the 3 subsequent flts, all with 30-34 passenger, the flight crew decided to fly the remaining legs (eyw-eyw, eyw-mia, mia-tpa) with the cockpit door to the cabin open in order to provide some air conditioned air to the cabin. This provided about 2 degrees C relief to the cabin temperature. This deviation from regulations occurred because even though the MEL was correctly implemented, subjecting passenger to the extraordinary cabin temperatures is cruel and unusual punishment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LTT LEFT THE COCKPIT PAX DOOR OPEN DURING FLT DUE TO THE CABIN AIR CONDITIONING BEING INOP.

Narrative: WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ACFT WITH 1 AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP. MAINT HAD CORRECTLY USED THE MEL TO CLR THE MAINT ITEM FOR LATER REPAIR, AND RELEASED THE SAAB 340 FOR FLT. THE MEL'ED AIR CONDITIONING PACK WAS THE SOLE SOURCE OF AIR CONDITIONED AIR FOR THE PAX CABIN. THE OPERATIVE AIR CONDITIONING PACK SUPPLIED THE COCKPIT ONLY. THE FIRST LEG TO EYW FROM MIA HAD 34 PAX (FULL), WITH A TKOF OUTSIDE AIR TEMP OF 87 DEGS F. SOON AFTER THE GND PWR/AIR CONDITIONING CART WAS REMOVED AND TAXI STARTED, CABIN TEMP APCHED 30 DEGS C (87 DEGS F). DURING THE 40 MIN FLT, CABIN TEMP HOVERED AT 30-32 DEGS C. UPON DEPLANING AT EYW, PAX EXPRESSED EXTREME DISCONTENT. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR THE 3 SUBSEQUENT FLTS, ALL WITH 30-34 PAX, THE FLC DECIDED TO FLY THE REMAINING LEGS (EYW-EYW, EYW-MIA, MIA-TPA) WITH THE COCKPIT DOOR TO THE CABIN OPEN IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME AIR CONDITIONED AIR TO THE CABIN. THIS PROVIDED ABOUT 2 DEGS C RELIEF TO THE CABIN TEMP. THIS DEV FROM REGS OCCURRED BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE MEL WAS CORRECTLY IMPLEMENTED, SUBJECTING PAX TO THE EXTRAORDINARY CABIN TEMPS IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.