hot airplanes

[Soverytired]

When a pax dies or goes to the hospital, that is a death or accident that happened on your airplane, and could wind up following you, via your faa file (not to mention your conscience) for life.

Not "could" . . .it most certainly will. You'll be lucky to have a job and/or a license when the dust settles and the body is buried. There's also a good chance at civil litigation against you personally that will wipe out any assets you have left.

The FAA issued an advisory circular that basically said that a plane that had inadequate ventilation needed to be deplaned in no greater than 30 minutes.

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulator...B0005CDC20?OpenDocument&Highlight=ventilation



This is the sort of thing you'd better have decided before you ever board, because this is the kind of "creeping problem" that can sneak up and kill one of your passengers as you wait just "10 more minutes" to take off.

For example, I think you could very easily say that a CRJ200 with no APU on a 105 degree day in PHX has no significant ventilation. Plan on 20 minutes, MAX, to get to the runway. If you can't make it, declare an emergency and head back.

No company in the US would have the balls to fire you for exercising emergency authority to evac an airplane that was 120+ degrees in the back.

 

[Soverytired]

. COWARDS! Grow a pair and act like the PIC's that used to fly around aiplanes without A/C.

Amen and preach on, brother.

 

[John Pennekamp]

Not "could" . . .it most certainly will. You'll be lucky to have a job and/or a license when the dust settles and the body is buried. There's also a good chance at civil litigation against you personally that will wipe out any assets you have left

And if you work for a company like ASA, the company and their insurance policy will not protect you. They will point to the same guidance in the POH that they tried to make you take the airplane with and say "Captain X made a bad decision on his own. Right here he had the guidance and authorization to refuse that flight...". They will throw you under the bus to save themselves.

 

[yaya]

And if you work for a company like ASA, the company and their insurance policy will not protect you. They will point to the same guidance in the POH that they tried to make you take the airplane with and say "Captain X made a bad decision on his own. Right here he had the guidance and authorization to refuse that flight...". They will throw you under the bus to save themselves.

POH, FAR's or whatever your book is called,,, this is a fine example not to do a lot of things that PIC and SIC guys without cajones do every day.

 

[Cardinal]

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulator...B0005CDC20?OpenDocument&Highlight=ventilation

Great Link, Thanks!

 

[mamba20]

ALPA came out a couple of years ago saying that they would back any crew that declined an airplane because it was too hot. This was after a rash of incidents with not only passengers, but crew members suffering from heat stroke. Passengers pay us to take them from A to B, not cook them. I would say use your best judgement on this. IF you feel that the aircraft is too hot then decline to take it. Think of some little old lady sitting back with a heart condition, do you really want to have the death of someone on your conscience from heat stroke when you were kicking around the idea of not taking the airplane in the first place?

 

[mamba20]

I've actually had this happen. A super hot day with no APU. We gave it a try and while waiting for takeoff in a 20 something airplane que, one of the FA's called up and said that people were starting to feel faint. We promptly left the que and went back to the gate. We called the chief pilot first and explained the situation. Much to his shagrin we took a 2 hour delay and got an airplane with a operative APU.

 

[Rally]

I've actually had this happen. A super hot day with no APU. We gave it a try and while waiting for takeoff in a 20 something airplane que, one of the FA's called up and said that people were starting to feel faint. We promptly left the que and went back to the gate. We called the chief pilot first and explained the situation. Much to his shagrin we took a 2 hour delay and got an airplane with a operative APU.

Just curious don't most 121 aircraft even if they dont' have a APU or it is inop have A/C once you start the engines and get the bleeds going? Or is this in a smaller t-prop that is'nt pressurized?

Thanks

 

[CA1900]

Just curious don't most 121 aircraft even if they dont' have a APU or it is inop have A/C once you start the engines and get the bleeds going? Or is this in a smaller t-prop that is'nt pressurized?

The engines at idle don't produce nearly the volume of compressed air that an APU can. Effective cooling depends on moving a large volume of air through the air cycle machine. An APU provides that, but the engines don't until they're powered up much higher than idle.

 

[OnTheRocks]

flying a turboprop is like dropping a deuce in an outhouse....it works, but it aint that comfy