<< >> NASA ASRS Report 557440, August 2002

An SF340 crew, departing san in an unpressurized aircraft, expresses concern and displeasure with company policy which allows the dispatching of aircraft with the pressurization system MEL'ed inoperative.

Attributes
ACN	557440
Time
Date	200208
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Saab-Scania Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	557440
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Company routinely dispatches unpressurized aircraft because the MEL allows it. This is wrong. While crew members are not allowed to fly with a head cold, our passenger have no such restr. Passenger with sinus difficulties, babies and small children (particularly those with a common history of ear infections) could suffer adversely -- even severely -- as a result of such a flight. This situation opens us to possible liability litigation due to medical problems. In addition, to keep the aircraft climb and descent comfortable, the crew, in association with ATC, must fly profiles which slow the normal ATC flow into the hub. This practice must end. A change to the MEL should be submitted to eliminate this situation from recurring.

Related reports:

• An air carrier medium large transport flew unpressurized bos...
• CRJ900 captain reports right bleed leak at FL350 and eventua...
• A DHC8-400 pressurization system was MEL'ed so that the mode...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 CREW, DEPARTING SAN IN AN UNPRESSURIZED ACFT, EXPRESSES CONCERN AND DISPLEASURE WITH COMPANY POLICY WHICH ALLOWS THE DISPATCHING OF ACFT WITH THE PRESSURIZATION SYS MEL'ED INOP.

Narrative: COMPANY ROUTINELY DISPATCHES UNPRESSURIZED ACFT BECAUSE THE MEL ALLOWS IT. THIS IS WRONG. WHILE CREW MEMBERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FLY WITH A HEAD COLD, OUR PAX HAVE NO SUCH RESTR. PAX WITH SINUS DIFFICULTIES, BABIES AND SMALL CHILDREN (PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH A COMMON HISTORY OF EAR INFECTIONS) COULD SUFFER ADVERSELY -- EVEN SEVERELY -- AS A RESULT OF SUCH A FLT. THIS SIT OPENS US TO POSSIBLE LIABILITY LITIGATION DUE TO MEDICAL PROBS. IN ADDITION, TO KEEP THE ACFT CLB AND DSCNT COMFORTABLE, THE CREW, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ATC, MUST FLY PROFILES WHICH SLOW THE NORMAL ATC FLOW INTO THE HUB. THIS PRACTICE MUST END. A CHANGE TO THE MEL SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO ELIMINATE THIS SIT FROM RECURRING.

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.