Narrative:

I was captain/check airman conducting operational experience training to a new captain. Our aircraft (saab 340B) had freon air conditioning and acm's to provide cooling. Ours didn't seem to work. The aircraft grew hotter as the day progressed. Because of the heat (95+ degrees F) in the cabin, I elected to open the cockpit door to aid cooling. It didn't help much. (Note: at this carrier, I had served as first officer on the jetstream 3100 and on the saab. The jetstream had no flight attendant and in the summer was never able to maintain adequate cooling. We always operated with the jetstream door open! Always!) I finally wrote up the 4 air conditioning system and maintenance deferred the work on the freon air conditioning. They operationally checked the air cycle machine air conditioning and returned it to service, as no defects noted. During the next flight, the heat built up to a very high level and immediately after takeoff we had several people get actively sick. I remember having the cockpit door open for the flight after the maintenance check and for 2 more following. I may have had it open the entire series of flts. I don't recall exactly. I took it for granted that whatever authority/authorized we had to fly with the cockpit door open on the jetstream was in effect still. I just didn't think about it. The jetstream isn't used by our airline anymore though. From now on though, I will refuse to operate aircraft at all with cooling problems during similar temperature conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAAB 340B CHK CAPT LEFT COCKPIT DOOR OPEN DURING SEVERAL FLTS OVER A 2-DAY PERIOD BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COCKPIT AND CABIN HEAT, EVEN THOUGH MAINT HAD CHKED THE SYS AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER FREON SVC DEFERRED.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT/CHK AIRMAN CONDUCTING OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE TRAINING TO A NEW CAPT. OUR ACFT (SAAB 340B) HAD FREON AIR CONDITIONING AND ACM'S TO PROVIDE COOLING. OURS DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK. THE ACFT GREW HOTTER AS THE DAY PROGRESSED. BECAUSE OF THE HEAT (95+ DEGS F) IN THE CABIN, I ELECTED TO OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR TO AID COOLING. IT DIDN'T HELP MUCH. (NOTE: AT THIS CARRIER, I HAD SERVED AS FO ON THE JETSTREAM 3100 AND ON THE SAAB. THE JETSTREAM HAD NO FLT ATTENDANT AND IN THE SUMMER WAS NEVER ABLE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE COOLING. WE ALWAYS OPERATED WITH THE JETSTREAM DOOR OPEN! ALWAYS!) I FINALLY WROTE UP THE 4 AIR CONDITIONING SYS AND MAINT DEFERRED THE WORK ON THE FREON AIR CONDITIONING. THEY OPERATIONALLY CHKED THE AIR CYCLE MACHINE AIR CONDITIONING AND RETURNED IT TO SVC, AS NO DEFECTS NOTED. DURING THE NEXT FLT, THE HEAT BUILT UP TO A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE GET ACTIVELY SICK. I REMEMBER HAVING THE COCKPIT DOOR OPEN FOR THE FLT AFTER THE MAINT CHK AND FOR 2 MORE FOLLOWING. I MAY HAVE HAD IT OPEN THE ENTIRE SERIES OF FLTS. I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY. I TOOK IT FOR GRANTED THAT WHATEVER AUTH WE HAD TO FLY WITH THE COCKPIT DOOR OPEN ON THE JETSTREAM WAS IN EFFECT STILL. I JUST DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT. THE JETSTREAM ISN'T USED BY OUR AIRLINE ANYMORE THOUGH. FROM NOW ON THOUGH, I WILL REFUSE TO OPERATE ACFT AT ALL WITH COOLING PROBS DURING SIMILAR TEMP CONDITIONS.

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.