An EMB170 first officer reports being dispatched with 1 pack deferred inoperative per the MEL and the remaining pack temperature control inoperative in automatic and manual. Remaining pack did not meet limits of the MEL.

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Attributes
ACN	641061
Time
Date	200412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Embraer Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	641061
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cabin temp indication other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Scheduled to fly flight X. Awaiting arrival of aircraft at gate, we were made aware the inbound pilot said we would need contract maintenance to meet flight. We learned from inbound crew that pack #1 was on MEL, and pack #2 would not hold cabin. Inbound captain said he received a 'cabin altitude high' warning message and elected to control pressurization with the pack that was on MEL for being unable to regulate cabin temperature. Contract maintenance pressurized aircraft at gate and found pack #2 inoperative, but pack #1 worked fine holding cabin pressure. After a long time and discussion between captain, our company maintenance and contract maintenance, the decision was made to MEL pack #2 and change the MEL on pack #1 from deferring the whole pack to simply deferring the cabin temperature control system. This would allow us to fly pressurized but not be able to control the cabin temperature. I think it would have been more appropriate to ferry the aircraft unpressurized at 10000 ft back to ZZZ than to play games with the MEL's to suit the company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB170 FO RPTS BEING DISPATCHED WITH 1 PACK DEFERRED INOP PER THE MEL AND THE REMAINING PACK TEMP CTL INOP IN AUTO AND MANUAL. REMAINING PACK DID NOT MEET LIMITS OF THE MEL.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO FLY FLT X. AWAITING ARR OF ACFT AT GATE, WE WERE MADE AWARE THE INBOUND PLT SAID WE WOULD NEED CONTRACT MAINT TO MEET FLT. WE LEARNED FROM INBOUND CREW THAT PACK #1 WAS ON MEL, AND PACK #2 WOULD NOT HOLD CABIN. INBOUND CAPT SAID HE RECEIVED A 'CABIN ALT HIGH' WARNING MESSAGE AND ELECTED TO CTL PRESSURIZATION WITH THE PACK THAT WAS ON MEL FOR BEING UNABLE TO REGULATE CABIN TEMP. CONTRACT MAINT PRESSURIZED ACFT AT GATE AND FOUND PACK #2 INOP, BUT PACK #1 WORKED FINE HOLDING CABIN PRESSURE. AFTER A LONG TIME AND DISCUSSION BTWN CAPT, OUR COMPANY MAINT AND CONTRACT MAINT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MEL PACK #2 AND CHANGE THE MEL ON PACK #1 FROM DEFERRING THE WHOLE PACK TO SIMPLY DEFERRING THE CABIN TEMP CTL SYS. THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO FLY PRESSURIZED BUT NOT BE ABLE TO CTL THE CABIN TEMP. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE TO FERRY THE ACFT UNPRESSURIZED AT 10000 FT BACK TO ZZZ THAN TO PLAY GAMES WITH THE MEL'S TO SUIT THE COMPANY.

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.