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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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An air carrier flight crew on a positioning flight take off from a snow covered runway and find that the pressurization system is only partially functional. They divert and find the pack cooling vents packed with snow.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 330867 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199603 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : axt |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 21000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : axt |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 330867 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We flew a charter flight to akita, japan, and landed ILS near minimums in snow. We deiced 3 times due to takeoff delays. We taxied packs off, cooling doors closed. When we took off, packs off, when packs put on, neither pack would stay on very long. They both overheated and tripped off, though we usually had one on. We had no passenger on board and I notified the crew to standby on oxygen. The cabin never went above 8000 ft though we climbed to FL210. We declared an emergency and landed at sendai (sdj). Snow was packed in the pack cooling vents. The snow packed in the vents on the takeoff roll or during the taxies. My thoughts: I made sure the wings were clear but I never thought of the pack vents, other than packs off, doors closed, taxi procedure. In mountains I think of depressurization procedures for a descent, but I had never thought about having to climb out with packs not working in the mountains. I will in the future.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC ON A POSITIONING FLT TAKE OFF FROM A SNOW COVERED RWY AND FIND THAT THE PRESSURIZATION SYS IS ONLY PARTIALLY FUNCTIONAL. THEY DIVERT AND FIND THE PACK COOLING VENTS PACKED WITH SNOW.
Narrative: WE FLEW A CHARTER FLT TO AKITA, JAPAN, AND LANDED ILS NEAR MINIMUMS IN SNOW. WE DEICED 3 TIMES DUE TO TKOF DELAYS. WE TAXIED PACKS OFF, COOLING DOORS CLOSED. WHEN WE TOOK OFF, PACKS OFF, WHEN PACKS PUT ON, NEITHER PACK WOULD STAY ON VERY LONG. THEY BOTH OVERHEATED AND TRIPPED OFF, THOUGH WE USUALLY HAD ONE ON. WE HAD NO PAX ON BOARD AND I NOTIFIED THE CREW TO STANDBY ON OXYGEN. THE CABIN NEVER WENT ABOVE 8000 FT THOUGH WE CLBED TO FL210. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT SENDAI (SDJ). SNOW WAS PACKED IN THE PACK COOLING VENTS. THE SNOW PACKED IN THE VENTS ON THE TKOF ROLL OR DURING THE TAXIES. MY THOUGHTS: I MADE SURE THE WINGS WERE CLR BUT I NEVER THOUGHT OF THE PACK VENTS, OTHER THAN PACKS OFF, DOORS CLOSED, TAXI PROC. IN MOUNTAINS I THINK OF DEPRESSURIZATION PROCS FOR A DSCNT, BUT I HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING TO CLB OUT WITH PACKS NOT WORKING IN THE MOUNTAINS. I WILL IN THE FUTURE.
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.