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While enroute; flight crew wrote-up right pack for tripping off. Contract maintenance said left pack out of oil. Left pack deferred inoperative. Maintenance control said right pack problem caused by left pack. Pilot refuses aircraft. Flight canceled. On ferry flight; right pack fails; no pressurization.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 797164 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Route In Use | departure sid : n/s |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 797164 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
En route; we wrote up the right pack for tripping off. Upon arrival and after the captain coordination with maintenance control and dispatch; a contract mechanic was contacted to explore the problem. He discovered the left pack was out of oil. Servicing it apparently was beyond the scope of his capability. So; the left pack was deferred inoperative leaving only the remaining pack we had the problems with. Maintenance control concurred with the left pack deferral stating their position that the reason the right pack had problems was because of the left pack. The captain consulted with me; we discussed it and decided to refuse the airplane. The flight was canceled and we later agreed to a one-time ferry flight for maintenance. Immediately on climb out; we had the same right pack problems which rendered the airplane without pressurization. I do not understand the rationale behind maintenance control's/dispatch's deferral. Had we flown aircraft X as planned; we would have ended up with a plane full of passenger stranded at an out-base and very possibly major physiological incidents had our airplane decided to give out at cruise at FL240. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated when the remaining right air conditioning pack failed after takeoff on their ferry flight to a maintenance base; both he and the captain knew they had made the right decision in refusing the aircraft earlier for continued revenue service.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WHILE ENROUTE; FLT CREW WROTE-UP R PACK FOR TRIPPING OFF. CONTRACT MAINT SAID LEFT PACK OUT OF OIL. LEFT PACK DEFERRED INOP. MAINT CONTROL SAID R PACK PROBLEM CAUSED BY LEFT PACK. PILOT REFUSES ACFT. FLIGHT CANCELED. ON FERRY FLT; R PACK FAILS; NO PRESSURIZATION.
Narrative: ENRTE; WE WROTE UP THE R PACK FOR TRIPPING OFF. UPON ARR AND AFTER THE CAPT COORD WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH; A CONTRACT MECH WAS CONTACTED TO EXPLORE THE PROB. HE DISCOVERED THE L PACK WAS OUT OF OIL. SERVICING IT APPARENTLY WAS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF HIS CAPABILITY. SO; THE L PACK WAS DEFERRED INOP LEAVING ONLY THE REMAINING PACK WE HAD THE PROBS WITH. MAINT CTL CONCURRED WITH THE L PACK DEFERRAL STATING THEIR POS THAT THE REASON THE R PACK HAD PROBS WAS BECAUSE OF THE L PACK. THE CAPT CONSULTED WITH ME; WE DISCUSSED IT AND DECIDED TO REFUSE THE AIRPLANE. THE FLT WAS CANCELED AND WE LATER AGREED TO A ONE-TIME FERRY FLT FOR MAINT. IMMEDIATELY ON CLBOUT; WE HAD THE SAME R PACK PROBS WHICH RENDERED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT PRESSURIZATION. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND MAINT CTL'S/DISPATCH'S DEFERRAL. HAD WE FLOWN ACFT X AS PLANNED; WE WOULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH A PLANE FULL OF PAX STRANDED AT AN OUT-BASE AND VERY POSSIBLY MAJOR PHYSIOLOGICAL INCIDENTS HAD OUR AIRPLANE DECIDED TO GIVE OUT AT CRUISE AT FL240. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED WHEN THE REMAINING RIGHT AIR CONDITIONING PACK FAILED AFTER TAKEOFF ON THEIR FERRY FLIGHT TO A MAINT BASE; BOTH HE AND THE CAPTAIN KNEW THEY HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION IN REFUSING THE ACFT EARLIER FOR CONTINUED REVENUE SERVICE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.