Narrative:

Aircraft had freon air-conditioning system deferred in accordance with company MEL procedures. Even with bleed air- conditioning system, cabin temperatures in excess of 100 degrees F. Ambient air temperature 90 degrees F with high relative humidity/heat index unavailable but had to be in uncomfortable zone. Aircraft was flown to cou, mo, and back to stl, mo. Passenger complained of light headedness and nausea due to cabin temperature. Passenger looked ill and pale. Medical attention not required nor requested. Captain refused aircraft due to extreme temperature conditions. From previous experience, I know short hops with lots of passenger (15 in this case) really tax the bleed air system making it virtually useless. However, my fear of company reprisal interfered with my better judgement. The conditions I subjected my passenger to was unsafe. I knew that and should have never taken the aircraft in the first place. Captain is in fact facing disciplinary action as a result of refusal. The outcome of that action is yet to be determined, but regardless of the outcome, I will not disregard my better judgement in safety for future flts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was terminated 2 days later after refusal to take the aircraft again. The flight was canceled but at a later time the aircraft was flown again in the same condition. Reporter feels he was made the sacrificial lamb to remind other pilots of the result of refusal to fly a trip. He has since moved on to another company and is currently flying B757 aircraft. With the help of his union he appealed the firing and has since been allowed to resign with back pay. No FAA action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF JETSTREAM 32 ACCEPTS ACFT WITH DEFERRED AIR- CONDITIONING SYS PROB AS PER COMPANY MEL. IN FLT THE CABIN TEMPS REACHED IN EXCESS OF 100 DEGS F. PAX ILLNESS RESULTED, AND FLC REFUSED TO MAKE ANOTHER FLT IN THE ACFT.

Narrative: ACFT HAD FREON AIR-CONDITIONING SYS DEFERRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY MEL PROCS. EVEN WITH BLEED AIR- CONDITIONING SYS, CABIN TEMPS IN EXCESS OF 100 DEGS F. AMBIENT AIR TEMP 90 DEGS F WITH HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY/HEAT INDEX UNAVAILABLE BUT HAD TO BE IN UNCOMFORTABLE ZONE. ACFT WAS FLOWN TO COU, MO, AND BACK TO STL, MO. PAX COMPLAINED OF LIGHT HEADEDNESS AND NAUSEA DUE TO CABIN TEMP. PAX LOOKED ILL AND PALE. MEDICAL ATTN NOT REQUIRED NOR REQUESTED. CAPT REFUSED ACFT DUE TO EXTREME TEMP CONDITIONS. FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, I KNOW SHORT HOPS WITH LOTS OF PAX (15 IN THIS CASE) REALLY TAX THE BLEED AIR SYS MAKING IT VIRTUALLY USELESS. HOWEVER, MY FEAR OF COMPANY REPRISAL INTERFERED WITH MY BETTER JUDGEMENT. THE CONDITIONS I SUBJECTED MY PAX TO WAS UNSAFE. I KNEW THAT AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THE ACFT IN THE FIRST PLACE. CAPT IS IN FACT FACING DISCIPLINARY ACTION AS A RESULT OF REFUSAL. THE OUTCOME OF THAT ACTION IS YET TO BE DETERMINED, BUT REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME, I WILL NOT DISREGARD MY BETTER JUDGEMENT IN SAFETY FOR FUTURE FLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS TERMINATED 2 DAYS LATER AFTER REFUSAL TO TAKE THE ACFT AGAIN. THE FLT WAS CANCELED BUT AT A LATER TIME THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AGAIN IN THE SAME CONDITION. RPTR FEELS HE WAS MADE THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB TO REMIND OTHER PLTS OF THE RESULT OF REFUSAL TO FLY A TRIP. HE HAS SINCE MOVED ON TO ANOTHER COMPANY AND IS CURRENTLY FLYING B757 ACFT. WITH THE HELP OF HIS UNION HE APPEALED THE FIRING AND HAS SINCE BEEN ALLOWED TO RESIGN WITH BACK PAY. NO FAA ACTION.

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.