Narrative:

Our company operates SF340 aircraft. Our 'a' models do not have ground air conditioning. Our company does not have portable air conditioning units. On this day, our cabin temperature was 40 degrees C. That's over 100 degrees F with high humidity. This was in crw. Upon arrival into dtw, our cabin temperature was about 33 degrees C. The cabin never came below 91 degrees F. Needless to say, I feel this is a serious safety problem. It is only a matter of time before one of my passenger passes out from heat exhaustion. This matter is not taken seriously at my company. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the prime purpose of filing this report is because a passenger told him he was operating his aircraft in an unsafe manner. With such a report, something else might happen, such as a violation or lawsuit, so for protection, this report was filed. Reporter has been flying this type of aircraft for 2 yrs. He is familiar with its cooling characteristics. It is very difficult to cool down to a comfortable level on the ground. Even when airborne it doesn't cool down very well. The only thing that will cool the aircraft down is a long flight or ground cooling unit being attached to the aircraft as soon as it is parked at the gate. Temperatures often get into the 90 degree F range and stay there. Reporter has never had any passenger suffer any health problems with a warm aircraft but he has heard of other company flight personnel report of health problems of senior citizens who suffered from the hot airplanes. Some of the other aircraft do have cooling system that work on the ground. This report just covers the aircraft that have no ground cooling available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES THAT THE SF340A ACFT CANNOT KEEP THE PAX CABIN COOL ENOUGH FOR COMFORT DURING THE WARM WX MONTHS. ACFT WAS LOCATED AT DTW ON THE GND.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY OPERATES SF340 ACFT. OUR 'A' MODELS DO NOT HAVE GND AIR CONDITIONING. OUR COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS. ON THIS DAY, OUR CABIN TEMP WAS 40 DEGS C. THAT'S OVER 100 DEGS F WITH HIGH HUMIDITY. THIS WAS IN CRW. UPON ARR INTO DTW, OUR CABIN TEMP WAS ABOUT 33 DEGS C. THE CABIN NEVER CAME BELOW 91 DEGS F. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROB. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ONE OF MY PAX PASSES OUT FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION. THIS MATTER IS NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY AT MY COMPANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PRIME PURPOSE OF FILING THIS RPT IS BECAUSE A PAX TOLD HIM HE WAS OPERATING HIS ACFT IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. WITH SUCH A RPT, SOMETHING ELSE MIGHT HAPPEN, SUCH AS A VIOLATION OR LAWSUIT, SO FOR PROTECTION, THIS RPT WAS FILED. RPTR HAS BEEN FLYING THIS TYPE OF ACFT FOR 2 YRS. HE IS FAMILIAR WITH ITS COOLING CHARACTERISTICS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO COOL DOWN TO A COMFORTABLE LEVEL ON THE GND. EVEN WHEN AIRBORNE IT DOESN'T COOL DOWN VERY WELL. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL COOL THE ACFT DOWN IS A LONG FLT OR GND COOLING UNIT BEING ATTACHED TO THE ACFT AS SOON AS IT IS PARKED AT THE GATE. TEMPS OFTEN GET INTO THE 90 DEG F RANGE AND STAY THERE. RPTR HAS NEVER HAD ANY PAX SUFFER ANY HEALTH PROBS WITH A WARM ACFT BUT HE HAS HEARD OF OTHER COMPANY FLT PERSONNEL RPT OF HEALTH PROBS OF SENIOR CITIZENS WHO SUFFERED FROM THE HOT AIRPLANES. SOME OF THE OTHER ACFT DO HAVE COOLING SYS THAT WORK ON THE GND. THIS RPT JUST COVERS THE ACFT THAT HAVE NO GND COOLING AVAILABLE.

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.