United 777 w/MEL'd APU Makes Headlines

[Cardinal]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4123227

Passengers broil, boil in sweltering jet
By Jeffrey Leib
Denver Post Staff Writer

As more than 200 Denver- bound United Airlines passengers waited to board Flight 909 from Chicago on Monday, it became apparent that something was wrong.
The Boeing 777, parked at the gate at O'Hare International Airport, was extremely hot. As in 115 degrees. The plane's auxiliary power unit, which generates electricity when engines are shut down at the gate, was broken. That killed the air conditioning and triggered a five-hour ordeal for passengers and crew.
All other flights to Denver were booked. United tried to find a replacement plane, but none was available.
United officials had a dilemma: Figure out how to cool the plane in near 100-degree heat, then board the passengers and send them to Denver; or buy them hotel rooms in Chicago.
They chose the first option.
"I couldn't breathe; I thought I was going to faint," said passenger Sandy Ball, in seat 37C.
The plane was due to leave at 2:45 p.m.
Maintenance workers first tried to pump cool air into the empty plane at the gate. That didn't work. Then the crew started one engine, called for a push back and drove the plane away to get the temperature to a bearable level. That helped.
About 6:30 p.m., the big jet reappeared at the terminal and a growing gaggle of United officials told remaining travelers they would be boarding. The cabin still was hot, but once an engine was started, the temperature would drop.
By 7, all were on board, and the door closed. It was hot in the cabin, probably in the low 90s. Officials said they had extra water and juice, but instead of a bottle of water on each seat, there was a blanket.
Passengers waited for the engine start - and waited some more. The body heat of hundreds of people was lifting the temperature.
Captain Michael Glawe gave an ultimatum to United officials: Get air hooked up for the start in one minute or empty the plane. He was worried about heatstroke in the cabin.
"I was right on the verge of getting everybody off the airplane," he said Tuesday. "The plane was so heat-soaked that it was going to be warm until we got to altitude."
Passengers began to use cellphones to call for help. Finally the engine was started.
Ball was at her breaking point by then.
"I was going to stand up and scream," she said. "They endangered our lives putting us on that plane."
One frustrated flight attendant told passengers to call United's headquarters, "otherwise it will never change."
The plane took off at 8. Within an hour, it was so cool in the cabin that many passengers were grabbing the blankets.
As the jet landed in Denver, a flight attendant begged people to give United another chance. She said, "This has been a very embarrassing and unprofessional situation." "Our crew did the best job they could to get that plane cooled as quickly as possible," United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said Tuesday. "We're extremely sorry."

Guess these folks have never flown around New Mexico for a few days with no apu, no ground air, and deferred air conditiong....Hmpph.

 

[TrafficInSight]

"they endangered our lives putting us on that plane."

Are you kidding me?

 

[AirBadger]

"they endangered our lives putting us on that plane."

Are you kidding me?

It's not that far a stretch. 115 degrees in the cabin, thats fuggin ridiculous. Imagine being trapped with 199 other passengers in that tube with that kind of heat. The captain was worried enough about heatstroke.

 

[BoilerUP]

We refused an airplane yesterday that was 40C in the cabin and climbing. Our packs worked, but were well on their way to being frozen up and couldn't control the cabin temp. The cockpit was even warmer...

It is quite dangerous for pax to be that hot, especially with the elderly or those with respiratory problems. Its a HUGE liability for a company if they can't keep their planes cool on the ground...

 

[Amish RakeFight]

I'd be pretty upset too. Why couldn't a GPU provide the AC?

 

[trip]

That sounds like a normal day flying the bro around socal, with an APU!

 

[AWACoff]

Definitely no joke. I returned to the gate just last week with a medical emergency due to the cabin being too hot. My passenger was okay in the end but I was unwilling to risk her life for on time performance.

"they endangered our lives putting us on that plane."

Are you kidding me?

 

[check6]

Sounds like your everyday average PDT Dash-8

 

[MJG]

I'd be pretty upset too. Why couldn't a GPU provide the AC?

GPU is for electricity only, no air, for that you need an air conditioning unit, you know those big yellow hoses you see hooked up to the bottom of aircraft.

This IS a serious problem. At times like this I wish the CEO and CFO and every other alphabet offficial of said airlines would have to endure the whole ordeal back in the cabin with the rest of the coach customers.

I feel for this captain, I've been in the same position before, though not with 200 passengers. There is NOTHING you can say over that PA to make the situation better. When people get that hot, including me, they get mad and their patience is long gone.

Our company back in the prop days was notorious for MEL'ing the VCM on our 1900's, that's the main air conditioning unit on the Beech 1900, the ACM is sort of the "pack" on that airplane but is useless when it gets this hot. So if the VCM was on MEL you would roast before takeoff. It got so bad one summer that I went out and bought a digital thermometer with a sensor that could be strung back into the cabin. I once saw 97 degrees F while holding short of the runway. That's totally unacceptable. I wanted physical proof to show the FEDs when I refused an airplane for a MEL'd VCM and caught hell from the CPO, yes it happend to some, not me though.

At least the Captain did the right thing. I personally worry more about being sued by an angry group of passengers and an overzealous lawyer these days than I do about facing disciplinary action from my company.

I have been praying all week not to see the APU MEL'd on my paperwork, this week especially would not be fun to deal with. There is no way to keep the cabin cool while you start the engine off of an air start cart. As soon as the flow of cool air stops coming in from the air conditioning unit, it starts to get hot, and your life as an airline crew member starts to suck. I suppose that we could have them keep the AC hooked up unitl after we started, we have rear fuse mounted engines so this might be possible, probably wouldn't work with a Boeing or Airbus.

 

[TrafficInSight]

I initially read low 90's, disregard.