Narrative:

Aircraft swap at mtpp caused extensive delay to our departure. Maintenance was en route from mia. Soc made swap decision. I was advised of no potable or lavatory water on aircraft. Passenger were boarded. Efforts were made to resolve problem, however, passenger were unruly. Usual means to calm passenger failed. Resorted to use of megaphone to restore order in cabin. Working with station manager to obtain water for aircraft. During that time, a few flight attendants decided to leave aircraft. I asked these flight attendants if they would like to return to aircraft. They refused to return. We decided to go with 6 flight attendants. Water was eventually delivered to the aircraft. Another flight attendant deplaned to retrieve fellow flight attendants. All flight attendants returned to the aircraft and we departed. Once underway, all passenger problems ceased -- passenger slept. In the interest of safety and operational considerations, it was important to depart mtpp and return to jfk. It was never intended to exceed duty time. The purpose was to depart, avoiding a possibly more severe and unsafe situation. Flight was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 448159: at jfk, flight flew uneventfully to mtpp. In mtpp, dispatch gave our aircraft to another crew and gave us a broken aircraft. Parts and maintenance arrived on another flight and the aircraft was fixed after scheduled departure time. Passenger were loaded while waiting for food, water, and ice. While trying to resolve all problems, regard to duty day was forgotten. We ended up arriving at jfk beyond 14 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 FLC TAKES THEIR RETURN FLT BACK TO JFK FROM MTPP, FO, AFTER EXPERIENCING A DELAY THAT PLACED THEM OVER THEIR SCHEDULED DUTY TIME.

Narrative: ACFT SWAP AT MTPP CAUSED EXTENSIVE DELAY TO OUR DEP. MAINT WAS ENRTE FROM MIA. SOC MADE SWAP DECISION. I WAS ADVISED OF NO POTABLE OR LAVATORY WATER ON ACFT. PAX WERE BOARDED. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO RESOLVE PROB, HOWEVER, PAX WERE UNRULY. USUAL MEANS TO CALM PAX FAILED. RESORTED TO USE OF MEGAPHONE TO RESTORE ORDER IN CABIN. WORKING WITH STATION MGR TO OBTAIN WATER FOR ACFT. DURING THAT TIME, A FEW FLT ATTENDANTS DECIDED TO LEAVE ACFT. I ASKED THESE FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO ACFT. THEY REFUSED TO RETURN. WE DECIDED TO GO WITH 6 FLT ATTENDANTS. WATER WAS EVENTUALLY DELIVERED TO THE ACFT. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT DEPLANED TO RETRIEVE FELLOW FLT ATTENDANTS. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND WE DEPARTED. ONCE UNDERWAY, ALL PAX PROBS CEASED -- PAX SLEPT. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DEPART MTPP AND RETURN TO JFK. IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO EXCEED DUTY TIME. THE PURPOSE WAS TO DEPART, AVOIDING A POSSIBLY MORE SEVERE AND UNSAFE SIT. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448159: AT JFK, FLT FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO MTPP. IN MTPP, DISPATCH GAVE OUR ACFT TO ANOTHER CREW AND GAVE US A BROKEN ACFT. PARTS AND MAINT ARRIVED ON ANOTHER FLT AND THE ACFT WAS FIXED AFTER SCHEDULED DEP TIME. PAX WERE LOADED WHILE WAITING FOR FOOD, WATER, AND ICE. WHILE TRYING TO RESOLVE ALL PROBS, REGARD TO DUTY DAY WAS FORGOTTEN. WE ENDED UP ARRIVING AT JFK BEYOND 14 HRS.

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.