B737-400 was dispatched with the left pack inoperative and the APU bleed air inoperative per the MEL...

Narrative:

Aircraft had multiple MEL's. Essentially; left pack inoperative and APU bleed air inoperative. We questioned all the MEL's with dispatch. Especially; since we had been told before that company policy was to not send aircraft international without APU bleed air. Given the recent attention regarding pressurization issues; we couldn't believe that we were being sent to a foreign country just 1 pack away from yet another in-flight depressurization. Between all of the MEL's there were dozens of pages of directions; some conflicting. After several mins and false starts; we arrived at the following position: MEL 21-1 operating procedures call for APU bleed on. This was not possible; as we had no APU bleed air. It says that both engine bleeds must be off for takeoff. It also says to use the MEL procedure in lieu of 'no bleed takeoff and landing' flight handbook procedure. Since MEL 21-1 states that engine bleeds must be off for takeoff and landing and APU bleed air was not available; we deduced that this meant we had to do an unpressurized takeoff and landing. We went to the flight handbook and performed 4 separate unpressurized operations on 2 legs. Prior to departure; we had to do an external air start at the gate. No air conditioning for our passenger. We had to be pushed away from the gate and do a xbleed start for the other engine. No air conditioning for our passenger. Then we had to configure for an unpressurized takeoff. No air conditioning for our passenger. After departure at ZZZ1 prior to 2000 ft AGL; we had to configure the bleeds and packs correctly for en route operation. On approach to ZZZ2 at 1500 ft AGL. We had to configure for an unpressurized landing. No air conditioning for our passenger. After landing; we had to reconfigure the airplane for a few mins of ground operation with packs running to cool airplane. Ground time; no air conditioning for passenger. Prior to departure; we had to do an external air start at the gate. No air conditioning for our passenger. We had to be pushed away from the gate and do a xbleed start for the other engine. No air conditioning for our passenger. Then we had to configure for an unpressurized takeoff. No air conditioning for our passenger. After departure at ZZZ2; by 2000 ft AGL we had to configure the bleeds and packs correctly for en route operation. On approach to ZZZ1 at 1500 ft AGL; we had to configure for an unpressurized landing. No air conditioning for our passenger. After landing at ZZZ1 we had to reconfigure the airplane for a few mins of ground operation with packs running to cool airplane. Ground time at ZZZ1; no air conditioning for passenger. I can't tell you how complicated this was. With the extra pressure of not wanting to cause another pressurization incident; we went back and forth for quite some time until we were able to figure it out. And even then; frankly; we were not completely sure that we had it all right. As a fix for this; I would respectfully recommend the following: 1) do not dispatch aircraft with both a pack inoperative and APU bleed air inoperative. 2) clarify MEL 21-1 to add a small note about what to do if APU bleed air is inoperative.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE L PACK INOP AND THE APU BLEED AIR INOP PER THE MEL. FO RPTS HIGH WORKLOAD AND NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR PAX ON TKOFS AND LNDGS.

Narrative: ACFT HAD MULTIPLE MEL'S. ESSENTIALLY; L PACK INOP AND APU BLEED AIR INOP. WE QUESTIONED ALL THE MEL'S WITH DISPATCH. ESPECIALLY; SINCE WE HAD BEEN TOLD BEFORE THAT COMPANY POLICY WAS TO NOT SEND ACFT INTL WITHOUT APU BLEED AIR. GIVEN THE RECENT ATTN REGARDING PRESSURIZATION ISSUES; WE COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WE WERE BEING SENT TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY JUST 1 PACK AWAY FROM YET ANOTHER INFLT DEPRESSURIZATION. BTWN ALL OF THE MEL'S THERE WERE DOZENS OF PAGES OF DIRECTIONS; SOME CONFLICTING. AFTER SEVERAL MINS AND FALSE STARTS; WE ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING POS: MEL 21-1 OPERATING PROCS CALL FOR APU BLEED ON. THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE; AS WE HAD NO APU BLEED AIR. IT SAYS THAT BOTH ENG BLEEDS MUST BE OFF FOR TKOF. IT ALSO SAYS TO USE THE MEL PROC IN LIEU OF 'NO BLEED TKOF AND LNDG' FLT HANDBOOK PROC. SINCE MEL 21-1 STATES THAT ENG BLEEDS MUST BE OFF FOR TKOF AND LNDG AND APU BLEED AIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE; WE DEDUCED THAT THIS MEANT WE HAD TO DO AN UNPRESSURIZED TKOF AND LNDG. WE WENT TO THE FLT HANDBOOK AND PERFORMED 4 SEPARATE UNPRESSURIZED OPS ON 2 LEGS. PRIOR TO DEP; WE HAD TO DO AN EXTERNAL AIR START AT THE GATE. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. WE HAD TO BE PUSHED AWAY FROM THE GATE AND DO A XBLEED START FOR THE OTHER ENG. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. THEN WE HAD TO CONFIGURE FOR AN UNPRESSURIZED TKOF. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. AFTER DEP AT ZZZ1 PRIOR TO 2000 FT AGL; WE HAD TO CONFIGURE THE BLEEDS AND PACKS CORRECTLY FOR ENRTE OP. ON APCH TO ZZZ2 AT 1500 FT AGL. WE HAD TO CONFIGURE FOR AN UNPRESSURIZED LNDG. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. AFTER LNDG; WE HAD TO RECONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR A FEW MINS OF GND OP WITH PACKS RUNNING TO COOL AIRPLANE. GND TIME; NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR PAX. PRIOR TO DEP; WE HAD TO DO AN EXTERNAL AIR START AT THE GATE. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. WE HAD TO BE PUSHED AWAY FROM THE GATE AND DO A XBLEED START FOR THE OTHER ENG. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. THEN WE HAD TO CONFIGURE FOR AN UNPRESSURIZED TKOF. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. AFTER DEP AT ZZZ2; BY 2000 FT AGL WE HAD TO CONFIGURE THE BLEEDS AND PACKS CORRECTLY FOR ENRTE OP. ON APCH TO ZZZ1 AT 1500 FT AGL; WE HAD TO CONFIGURE FOR AN UNPRESSURIZED LNDG. NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR OUR PAX. AFTER LNDG AT ZZZ1 WE HAD TO RECONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR A FEW MINS OF GND OP WITH PACKS RUNNING TO COOL AIRPLANE. GND TIME AT ZZZ1; NO AIR CONDITIONING FOR PAX. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW COMPLICATED THIS WAS. WITH THE EXTRA PRESSURE OF NOT WANTING TO CAUSE ANOTHER PRESSURIZATION INCIDENT; WE WENT BACK AND FORTH FOR QUITE SOME TIME UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT. AND EVEN THEN; FRANKLY; WE WERE NOT COMPLETELY SURE THAT WE HAD IT ALL RIGHT. AS A FIX FOR THIS; I WOULD RESPECTFULLY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING: 1) DO NOT DISPATCH ACFT WITH BOTH A PACK INOP AND APU BLEED AIR INOP. 2) CLARIFY MEL 21-1 TO ADD A SMALL NOTE ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF APU BLEED AIR IS INOP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Attributes
ACN	688851
Time
Date	200502
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	688851
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : pack and apu bleed indications other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Aircraft

B737-400 was dispatched with the left pack inoperative and the APU bleed air inoperative per the MEL. First officer reports high workload and no air conditioning for passenger on takeoffs and lndgs.