Narrative:

It was very hot in las. Outside temperatures were around 110-113 degrees. We boarded the aircraft and waited for a ground crew to push us out. Crew was not available until after our MD80 was overheating. The captain was very frustrated, calling on radio, then yelling out the window for a push and telling everyone we were close to overheating the aircraft. I think the air carrier X planes overheat earlier than air carrier Y MD80's, but no one on the ground seemed to take our pleas in earnest. By the time we got a push, due apparently to the captain having to get on his cell phone to call air carrier flight operations, our plane was close to overheating. The cabin was very hot and passenger were overheated. We took off and from my jump seat, I could tell we were not continuing to climb. The captain/cockpit called the #2 flight attendant to ask him to look through the peep-hole in the rear entry door to look for anything unusual. I was on the interphone and knew to be alert for smoke/fire since we'd been so close to overheating before takeoff. The captain explained that the overheat indicator light for the tail cone had not gone off and we would probably return to las. He made an announcement over the PA telling the passenger what was happening and what we would do. The captain told the flight attendants we should expect an uneventful landing/taxi, but the #2 flight attendant and I both reviewed our emergency procedures and I performed a very detailed 30 second review prior to and after landing. I was also alert to any unfamiliar smells, ie, smoke or sounds, but none appeared. At the gate, passenger were deplaned and most were rerouted to their destinations. The mechanics said our plane was 'going nowhere.' when mechanics had a shift change, the new mechanic told us it could be ready in about 3 hours, although I don't think it took that long. That mechanic also told us (the flight attendants) that the problem, according to my understanding, was that the aircraft got so hot that the plastic duct in the tail cone that pulls cabin air out for circulation, had started to melt shut. I was appalled that the ground crews were not more available to help us leave the gate. Apparently, air carrier Y has cut back crews too much and this can cause possible life-threatening sits.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RETURN LAND IN AN MD83 IS MANDATED WHEN THE ACFT BECOMES TOO HOT AFTER A LENGTHY STAY AT THE GATE IN HIGH TEMPS WHICH AFFECTED THE AIR CONDITIONING DUCTS, ACTIVATING A HIGH TAIL CONE TEMP AFTER DEP FROM LAS, NV.

Narrative: IT WAS VERY HOT IN LAS. OUTSIDE TEMPS WERE AROUND 110-113 DEGS. WE BOARDED THE ACFT AND WAITED FOR A GND CREW TO PUSH US OUT. CREW WAS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER OUR MD80 WAS OVERHEATING. THE CAPT WAS VERY FRUSTRATED, CALLING ON RADIO, THEN YELLING OUT THE WINDOW FOR A PUSH AND TELLING EVERYONE WE WERE CLOSE TO OVERHEATING THE ACFT. I THINK THE ACR X PLANES OVERHEAT EARLIER THAN ACR Y MD80'S, BUT NO ONE ON THE GND SEEMED TO TAKE OUR PLEAS IN EARNEST. BY THE TIME WE GOT A PUSH, DUE APPARENTLY TO THE CAPT HAVING TO GET ON HIS CELL PHONE TO CALL ACR FLT OPS, OUR PLANE WAS CLOSE TO OVERHEATING. THE CABIN WAS VERY HOT AND PAX WERE OVERHEATED. WE TOOK OFF AND FROM MY JUMP SEAT, I COULD TELL WE WERE NOT CONTINUING TO CLB. THE CAPT/COCKPIT CALLED THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT TO ASK HIM TO LOOK THROUGH THE PEEP-HOLE IN THE REAR ENTRY DOOR TO LOOK FOR ANYTHING UNUSUAL. I WAS ON THE INTERPHONE AND KNEW TO BE ALERT FOR SMOKE/FIRE SINCE WE'D BEEN SO CLOSE TO OVERHEATING BEFORE TKOF. THE CAPT EXPLAINED THAT THE OVERHEAT INDICATOR LIGHT FOR THE TAIL CONE HAD NOT GONE OFF AND WE WOULD PROBABLY RETURN TO LAS. HE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OVER THE PA TELLING THE PAX WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WHAT WE WOULD DO. THE CAPT TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS WE SHOULD EXPECT AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG/TAXI, BUT THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND I BOTH REVIEWED OUR EMER PROCS AND I PERFORMED A VERY DETAILED 30 SECOND REVIEW PRIOR TO AND AFTER LNDG. I WAS ALSO ALERT TO ANY UNFAMILIAR SMELLS, IE, SMOKE OR SOUNDS, BUT NONE APPEARED. AT THE GATE, PAX WERE DEPLANED AND MOST WERE REROUTED TO THEIR DESTS. THE MECHS SAID OUR PLANE WAS 'GOING NOWHERE.' WHEN MECHS HAD A SHIFT CHANGE, THE NEW MECH TOLD US IT COULD BE READY IN ABOUT 3 HRS, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK IT TOOK THAT LONG. THAT MECH ALSO TOLD US (THE FLT ATTENDANTS) THAT THE PROB, ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WAS THAT THE ACFT GOT SO HOT THAT THE PLASTIC DUCT IN THE TAIL CONE THAT PULLS CABIN AIR OUT FOR CIRCULATION, HAD STARTED TO MELT SHUT. I WAS APPALLED THAT THE GND CREWS WERE NOT MORE AVAILABLE TO HELP US LEAVE THE GATE. APPARENTLY, ACR Y HAS CUT BACK CREWS TOO MUCH AND THIS CAN CAUSE POSSIBLE LIFE-THREATENING SITS.

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.