A B757 captain reports that his air carrier attempted to make him accept an aircraft with a known er...

Attributes
ACN	784437
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3700
ASRS Report	784437
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : temp controller other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Our inbound aircraft was taken for the ZZZ flight because the captain bringing in his aircraft from ZZZ1 refused to take it on to ZZZ because the cabin temperature was uncontrollable. Maintenance re-released the aircraft to ZZZ2 with the trim air inoperative and temperature selectors to be operated in manual mode. When we arrived at the aircraft the packs were on and the temperatures were stable. While we were waiting for the galleys to be taken care of (something that could've been done sooner as the purser advised operations of this need when we left the aircraft) the temperatures became erratic; unstable; and uncontrollable in manual mode; with temperatures ranging from 42-90 degrees; and temperature valve either fully open or fully closed. We refused the aircraft. Station operations; the ramp supervisor; and dispatch all tried to persuade us to take the aircraft. As we were leaving the aircraft; another mechanic came on and walked to the mid-cabin and I asked him if he knew the whole story on this airplane. He said some of it and that he had to look at a cracked air duct in the mid-cabin area. I told him what we experienced and said that should help to narrow the problem down some more. This was a chronic write-up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CAPT REPORTS THAT HIS ACR ATTEMPTED TO MAKE HIM ACCEPT AN ACFT WITH A KNOWN ERRATIC AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAUSING UNCONTROLLABLE TEMP FLUCTUATIONS.

Narrative: OUR INBOUND ACFT WAS TAKEN FOR THE ZZZ FLT BECAUSE THE CAPT BRINGING IN HIS ACFT FROM ZZZ1 REFUSED TO TAKE IT ON TO ZZZ BECAUSE THE CABIN TEMP WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. MAINT RE-RELEASED THE ACFT TO ZZZ2 WITH THE TRIM AIR INOP AND TEMP SELECTORS TO BE OPERATED IN MANUAL MODE. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT THE PACKS WERE ON AND THE TEMPS WERE STABLE. WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR THE GALLEYS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF (SOMETHING THAT COULD'VE BEEN DONE SOONER AS THE PURSER ADVISED OPS OF THIS NEED WHEN WE LEFT THE ACFT) THE TEMPS BECAME ERRATIC; UNSTABLE; AND UNCONTROLLABLE IN MANUAL MODE; WITH TEMPS RANGING FROM 42-90 DEGS; AND TEMP VALVE EITHER FULLY OPEN OR FULLY CLOSED. WE REFUSED THE ACFT. STATION OPS; THE RAMP SUPVR; AND DISPATCH ALL TRIED TO PERSUADE US TO TAKE THE ACFT. AS WE WERE LEAVING THE ACFT; ANOTHER MECH CAME ON AND WALKED TO THE MID-CABIN AND I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW THE WHOLE STORY ON THIS AIRPLANE. HE SAID SOME OF IT AND THAT HE HAD TO LOOK AT A CRACKED AIR DUCT IN THE MID-CABIN AREA. I TOLD HIM WHAT WE EXPERIENCED AND SAID THAT SHOULD HELP TO NARROW THE PROB DOWN SOME MORE. THIS WAS A CHRONIC WRITE-UP.

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.

A B757 captain reports that his air carrier attempted to make him accept an aircraft with a known erratic air conditioning system causing uncontrollable temperature fluctuations.