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B757 at gate with inoperative APU and no air conditioning and 1 hour gate hold caused passenger bedlam in cabin. Oxygen administered, 2 passenger deplaned due to opening of emergency exit and interphone taken from flight attendant.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 399416 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mia |
| State Reference | FL |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Route In Use | enroute : atlantic |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 399416 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During a lengthy gate hold without air conditioning, where the passenger were allowed to board, the cabin door was shut and the plane pushed back from gate. Due to inoperative APU, engines couldn't be started and no air conditioning was available. Held on ramp for 1 hour before door was finally opened. Cabin temperature had climbed to +90 degrees F. I was in the process of administering oxygen to passenger who had difficulty in breathing when coach passenger attempted to open door exit. Handle was rotated but door did not open and slide therefore did not deploy. After agent finally opened door, passenger rushed off plane due to heat. Passenger who attempted to open door was removed from flight. Passenger who was belligerent when asked to get off aircraft after arguing with deplaning passenger and who grabbed interphone out of my hand and started shouting orders to #2 flight attendant to tend to his baby in the back of plane, was removed from flight as well. The fact that the aircraft was boarded with inoperative APU and passenger had to situation on aircraft without air conditioning added, if not caused, the passenger misconduct and anxiety that they felt, and was a direct cause of the passenger needing oxygen. Due to the in-depth training at my airline, myself and my crew were able to effectively handle the situation and keep the situation calm in light of passenger anxieties.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757 AT GATE WITH INOP APU AND NO AIR CONDITIONING AND 1 HR GATE HOLD CAUSED PAX BEDLAM IN CABIN. OXYGEN ADMINISTERED, 2 PAX DEPLANED DUE TO OPENING OF EMER EXIT AND INTERPHONE TAKEN FROM FLT ATTENDANT.
Narrative: DURING A LENGTHY GATE HOLD WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING, WHERE THE PAX WERE ALLOWED TO BOARD, THE CABIN DOOR WAS SHUT AND THE PLANE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE. DUE TO INOP APU, ENGS COULDN'T BE STARTED AND NO AIR CONDITIONING WAS AVAILABLE. HELD ON RAMP FOR 1 HR BEFORE DOOR WAS FINALLY OPENED. CABIN TEMP HAD CLBED TO +90 DEGS F. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ADMINISTERING OXYGEN TO PAX WHO HAD DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING WHEN COACH PAX ATTEMPTED TO OPEN DOOR EXIT. HANDLE WAS ROTATED BUT DOOR DID NOT OPEN AND SLIDE THEREFORE DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER AGENT FINALLY OPENED DOOR, PAX RUSHED OFF PLANE DUE TO HEAT. PAX WHO ATTEMPTED TO OPEN DOOR WAS REMOVED FROM FLT. PAX WHO WAS BELLIGERENT WHEN ASKED TO GET OFF ACFT AFTER ARGUING WITH DEPLANING PAX AND WHO GRABBED INTERPHONE OUT OF MY HAND AND STARTED SHOUTING ORDERS TO #2 FLT ATTENDANT TO TEND TO HIS BABY IN THE BACK OF PLANE, WAS REMOVED FROM FLT AS WELL. THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS BOARDED WITH INOP APU AND PAX HAD TO SIT ON ACFT WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING ADDED, IF NOT CAUSED, THE PAX MISCONDUCT AND ANXIETY THAT THEY FELT, AND WAS A DIRECT CAUSE OF THE PAX NEEDING OXYGEN. DUE TO THE IN-DEPTH TRAINING AT MY AIRLINE, MYSELF AND MY CREW WERE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY HANDLE THE SIT AND KEEP THE SIT CALM IN LIGHT OF PAX ANXIETIES.
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.