Narrative:

Crew was assigned aircraft with left air condition pack inoperative. In the saab 340, the right pack feeds the cockpit and the left air conditioning pack is the sole source of cool cabin air to the cain. Outside air temperature was around 90 degrees F to 95 degrees F all afternoon on the surface in the tropical june summer climate of mia. Aircraft was scheduled to fly mi-eyw- mia-tpa-mia (short hops/low altitude/high cabin temperatures). All flts were booked to full/near-full (34 seats). Maintenance had MEL'd the left air conditioning pack and aircraft was legally dispatched. Soon after the ground air cart was removed (with a full passenger load), the cabin temperature soared to around 87 degrees F. During the 40 min flight to eyw, the cabin temperature reached above 90 degrees F. Upon deplaning in eyw, most all passenger bitterly complained of the heat, nausea, etc (thunderstorms and turbulence were throughout the area). One passenger cursed me as she left the airplane and swore she would never ride on our airline again. So, in order to provide some relief from the extreme cabin temperatures, on the 3 subsequent flts (all booked full), the captain decided to fly the remaining legs (eyw-mia, mia-tpa) with the cockpit door opened in order to circulate cockpit air provided by the r-side operating air conditioner pack back to the cabin area, thus relieving some of the extreme cabin temperatures. This was the only way to get any cool air at all to the cabin. The captain had discussed this problem at length with the company dispatcher, who was sympathetic, but nonetheless, maintained that the aircraft was legal to fly and unwilling to be swapped. The WX was so bad in mia with thunderstorms, that the flight from eyw-mia had to divert back to eyw. It is the opinion of this captain that our passenger should not have to be subjected to such high cabin temperatures for any period of time, despite a legal MEL item. In the mia area, a lot of our passenger are senior citizens and are of geriatric age, and could be subject to cardiac/health risks at these high cabin temperatures. The far regarding keeping the cockpit door closed was deviated from in order to try to provide some relief from the high cabin temperatures. The company should not be able to legally dispatch an aircraft in a situation where cabin temperature reaches in excess of 90 degrees F.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX COMPLAINT ABOUT HOT CABIN DISCOMFORT DURING FLT AFTER LNDG DUE TO CABIN AIR CONDITIONING INOP. FLC CONTINUED FLTS LEAVING THE COCKPIT CABIN DOOR OPEN DURING SUBSEQUENT FLTS FROM SOME COOLING.

Narrative: CREW WAS ASSIGNED ACFT WITH L AIR CONDITION PACK INOP. IN THE SAAB 340, THE R PACK FEEDS THE COCKPIT AND THE L AIR CONDITIONING PACK IS THE SOLE SOURCE OF COOL CABIN AIR TO THE CAIN. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS AROUND 90 DEGS F TO 95 DEGS F ALL AFTERNOON ON THE SURFACE IN THE TROPICAL JUNE SUMMER CLIMATE OF MIA. ACFT WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY MI-EYW- MIA-TPA-MIA (SHORT HOPS/LOW ALT/HIGH CABIN TEMPS). ALL FLTS WERE BOOKED TO FULL/NEAR-FULL (34 SEATS). MAINT HAD MEL'D THE L AIR CONDITIONING PACK AND ACFT WAS LEGALLY DISPATCHED. SOON AFTER THE GND AIR CART WAS REMOVED (WITH A FULL PAX LOAD), THE CABIN TEMP SOARED TO AROUND 87 DEGS F. DURING THE 40 MIN FLT TO EYW, THE CABIN TEMP REACHED ABOVE 90 DEGS F. UPON DEPLANING IN EYW, MOST ALL PAX BITTERLY COMPLAINED OF THE HEAT, NAUSEA, ETC (TSTMS AND TURB WERE THROUGHOUT THE AREA). ONE PAX CURSED ME AS SHE LEFT THE AIRPLANE AND SWORE SHE WOULD NEVER RIDE ON OUR AIRLINE AGAIN. SO, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FROM THE EXTREME CABIN TEMPS, ON THE 3 SUBSEQUENT FLTS (ALL BOOKED FULL), THE CAPT DECIDED TO FLY THE REMAINING LEGS (EYW-MIA, MIA-TPA) WITH THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENED IN ORDER TO CIRCULATE COCKPIT AIR PROVIDED BY THE R-SIDE OPERATING AIR CONDITIONER PACK BACK TO THE CABIN AREA, THUS RELIEVING SOME OF THE EXTREME CABIN TEMPS. THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET ANY COOL AIR AT ALL TO THE CABIN. THE CAPT HAD DISCUSSED THIS PROB AT LENGTH WITH THE COMPANY DISPATCHER, WHO WAS SYMPATHETIC, BUT NONETHELESS, MAINTAINED THAT THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO FLY AND UNWILLING TO BE SWAPPED. THE WX WAS SO BAD IN MIA WITH TSTMS, THAT THE FLT FROM EYW-MIA HAD TO DIVERT BACK TO EYW. IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS CAPT THAT OUR PAX SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE SUBJECTED TO SUCH HIGH CABIN TEMPS FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME, DESPITE A LEGAL MEL ITEM. IN THE MIA AREA, A LOT OF OUR PAX ARE SENIOR CITIZENS AND ARE OF GERIATRIC AGE, AND COULD BE SUBJECT TO CARDIAC/HEALTH RISKS AT THESE HIGH CABIN TEMPS. THE FAR REGARDING KEEPING THE COCKPIT DOOR CLOSED WAS DEVIATED FROM IN ORDER TO TRY TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FROM THE HIGH CABIN TEMPS. THE COMPANY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEGALLY DISPATCH AN ACFT IN A SIT WHERE CABIN TEMP REACHES IN EXCESS OF 90 DEGS F.

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.