Narrative:

Taxiing out; we noticed very low air flow from the air conditioning system. We are good; we can handle the problem. Preconditioned air was used at the gate and we managed. The ground crew at mfe did an excellent job keeping the cool air on till the last min. Short taxi and we were on our way to dfw. I told dispatch of our air conditioning problem and maintenance was on request. Dfw maintenance; after troubleshooting; placarded the left pack and assured us den maintenance would be alerted and do more on the overnight. We were ready to release brakes at departure time. The next 17 mins were H. The door closed; 1 pack; weak APU; the cabin was over 100 degrees. Because maintenance was on the airplane; the ground crew supervisor sent the push crew to dinner. No preconditioned air was available because of high winds. My PA about our situation did not stop the cockpit chimes from continually ringing from the flight attendants telling of their condition and the verbal abuse they were taking. I was told on ramp frequency 'get off the radio.' I asked for a name and got a supervisor and phone number. The first officer got an agent that was on a 'smoke break' in front of the airplane to reattach the jetbridge. I had the flight attendants open all the doors and the first officer open the aft air stairs. The 97 degree ramp air was cooler than the cabin. I called the ramp supervisor by cell and said I would be evacing the passenger. I guess the open doors got some attention. A push crew appeared. We buttoned up; started both engines at the gate and were off with a lot of very uncomfortable passenger. About 40 mins out; we notified den operations that we needed preconditioned air because of our air conditioning problem. At least the very unhappy passenger would have some relief exiting the airplane. Our request was ignored; no one needs preconditioned air at naturally cool den. The flight attendants did an excellent job. I apologized at the door to the deplaning passenger. Moral: I will never take another MD80 with 1 pack and the outside air temperature above 95 degrees.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW OPERATES WITH 1 PACK ON A HOT DAY.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT; WE NOTICED VERY LOW AIR FLOW FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. WE ARE GOOD; WE CAN HANDLE THE PROB. PRECONDITIONED AIR WAS USED AT THE GATE AND WE MANAGED. THE GND CREW AT MFE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB KEEPING THE COOL AIR ON TILL THE LAST MIN. SHORT TAXI AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO DFW. I TOLD DISPATCH OF OUR AIR CONDITIONING PROB AND MAINT WAS ON REQUEST. DFW MAINT; AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING; PLACARDED THE L PACK AND ASSURED US DEN MAINT WOULD BE ALERTED AND DO MORE ON THE OVERNIGHT. WE WERE READY TO RELEASE BRAKES AT DEP TIME. THE NEXT 17 MINS WERE H. THE DOOR CLOSED; 1 PACK; WEAK APU; THE CABIN WAS OVER 100 DEGS. BECAUSE MAINT WAS ON THE AIRPLANE; THE GND CREW SUPVR SENT THE PUSH CREW TO DINNER. NO PRECONDITIONED AIR WAS AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF HIGH WINDS. MY PA ABOUT OUR SITUATION DID NOT STOP THE COCKPIT CHIMES FROM CONTINUALLY RINGING FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS TELLING OF THEIR CONDITION AND THE VERBAL ABUSE THEY WERE TAKING. I WAS TOLD ON RAMP FREQ 'GET OFF THE RADIO.' I ASKED FOR A NAME AND GOT A SUPVR AND PHONE NUMBER. THE FO GOT AN AGENT THAT WAS ON A 'SMOKE BREAK' IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE TO REATTACH THE JETBRIDGE. I HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS OPEN ALL THE DOORS AND THE FO OPEN THE AFT AIR STAIRS. THE 97 DEG RAMP AIR WAS COOLER THAN THE CABIN. I CALLED THE RAMP SUPVR BY CELL AND SAID I WOULD BE EVACING THE PAX. I GUESS THE OPEN DOORS GOT SOME ATTN. A PUSH CREW APPEARED. WE BUTTONED UP; STARTED BOTH ENGS AT THE GATE AND WERE OFF WITH A LOT OF VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PAX. ABOUT 40 MINS OUT; WE NOTIFIED DEN OPS THAT WE NEEDED PRECONDITIONED AIR BECAUSE OF OUR AIR CONDITIONING PROB. AT LEAST THE VERY UNHAPPY PAX WOULD HAVE SOME RELIEF EXITING THE AIRPLANE. OUR REQUEST WAS IGNORED; NO ONE NEEDS PRECONDITIONED AIR AT NATURALLY COOL DEN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. I APOLOGIZED AT THE DOOR TO THE DEPLANING PAX. MORAL: I WILL NEVER TAKE ANOTHER MD80 WITH 1 PACK AND THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP ABOVE 95 DEGS.

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.