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Captain of MD80 bound for mdw refuses aircraft he deemed unacceptable for flight due to inoperative automatic pressurization control.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 612462 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200403 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dfw.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 612462 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Airplane and mission incompatible. Captain returning from vacation hasn't flown in 26 days -- slightly rusty. Airplane has automatic pressurization inoperative. Manual operation required full time job. First officer relatively new to airplane having been displaced from B767 -- never flown into midway, never used manual pressurization. Scheduled for midway airport -- 6400 ft runway. WX at mdw forecast 600 ft overcast and 2 mi. Current 300 ft overcast and 2 mi intermittent, 200 ft overcast and 1/2 mi. Captain felt like he was reading his post-accident report and decided the above situation was unsafe. He rejected this airplane for this flight and asked for another. In summary, I feel assigning a manual pressurization control aircraft to a mission with short runway and IFR WX is dangerous. There should be a system in place to prevent this type of pairing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter advised that he has received no negative response from his company regarding his decision. He had submitted the report not because he felt any jeopardy regarding his decision but solely because he felt it was his responsibility to inform the company of the reasons for his decision.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF MD80 BOUND FOR MDW REFUSES ACFT HE DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE FOR FLT DUE TO INOP AUTOMATIC PRESSURIZATION CTL.
Narrative: AIRPLANE AND MISSION INCOMPATIBLE. CAPT RETURNING FROM VACATION HASN'T FLOWN IN 26 DAYS -- SLIGHTLY RUSTY. AIRPLANE HAS AUTO PRESSURIZATION INOP. MANUAL OP REQUIRED FULL TIME JOB. FO RELATIVELY NEW TO AIRPLANE HAVING BEEN DISPLACED FROM B767 -- NEVER FLOWN INTO MIDWAY, NEVER USED MANUAL PRESSURIZATION. SCHEDULED FOR MIDWAY ARPT -- 6400 FT RWY. WX AT MDW FORECAST 600 FT OVCST AND 2 MI. CURRENT 300 FT OVCST AND 2 MI INTERMITTENT, 200 FT OVCST AND 1/2 MI. CAPT FELT LIKE HE WAS READING HIS POST-ACCIDENT RPT AND DECIDED THE ABOVE SIT WAS UNSAFE. HE REJECTED THIS AIRPLANE FOR THIS FLT AND ASKED FOR ANOTHER. IN SUMMARY, I FEEL ASSIGNING A MANUAL PRESSURIZATION CTL ACFT TO A MISSION WITH SHORT RWY AND IFR WX IS DANGEROUS. THERE SHOULD BE A SYS IN PLACE TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF PAIRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADVISED THAT HE HAS RECEIVED NO NEGATIVE RESPONSE FROM HIS COMPANY REGARDING HIS DECISION. HE HAD SUBMITTED THE RPT NOT BECAUSE HE FELT ANY JEOPARDY REGARDING HIS DECISION BUT SOLELY BECAUSE HE FELT IT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THE COMPANY OF THE REASONS FOR HIS DECISION.
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.