ACR LGT ENCOUNTERS ATC DELAY ON GND AT DEP ARPT. PARKED ON TXWY; PIC ORDERS 2 SLIDES DISARMED AND THE RESPECTIVE DOORS OPENED FOR BETTER AIR CIRCULATION. CABIN ATTENDANTS COMPLY BUT UNDER PROTEST.

Narrative

DURING A PROLONGED DELAY FOR TKOF AT DEN THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS EXISTED: TEMP ON TXWY NEAR 100 DEGS F. REPEATED CREEPING DELAYS FROM GND CTL; I.E.; WE SHOULD BE GETTING YOU AIRBORNE IN 15 MINS. TEMP IN CABIN RISING TO PLUS 100 DEGS F. EXTREMELY POOR VENTILATION. ACFT BLOCKED IN ON TXWY BY OTHER ACFT. RPTS FROM FLT ATTENDANTS 'WE ARE GOING TO HAVE FAINTING PAX IF WE DON'T COOL THE CABIN TEMP.' DUE TO THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP AND THE PROLONGED DELAY THE TEMP INSIDE THE CABIN BEGAN TO RISE TO AN INHUMANE LEVEL. DESPITE THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS WORKING AT THEIR BEST; THE CABIN TEMP WAS FUELED BY 160 WARM BODIES AND IT CONTINUED TO RISE QUICKLY. THE DELAY LASTED PAST SUNSET AND THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS NOW COOLER THAN INSIDE. THE ONLY WAY TO GET MORE OUTSIDE AIR INSIDE TO COOL WAS TO OPEN WINDOWS AND DOORS. WE WERE TRAPPED IN POS BY OTHER ACFT AND WE WERE EXPECTING TKOF CLRNC AT ANY TIME. I OPENED THE COCKPIT WINDOWS. THE OUTSIDE AIR WAS COOLER. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND THE BRAKES SET. I INSTRUCTED THE FLT SVC MGR TO POST A FLT ATTENDANT AT A FORWARD CABIN DOOR AND AT AN AFT CABIN DOOR. THEY WERE TOLD TO DISARM THE SLIDE; OPEN THE DOOR A FEW INCHES TO IMPROVE THE AIR FLOW; TO STAY AND GUARD THE DOOR UNTIL ORDERED TO CLOSE. THE DOORS WERE OPEN 5 MINS WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR TKOF. WE CLOSED THE DOORS; ARMED THE SLIDES AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF. THIS PROC DID LOWER THE CABIN TEMP A FEW DEGS. IT WAS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE I HAD IN THIS SIT TO LOOK OUT FOR THE WELL BEING OF THE PAX AND CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 249939: WE COULD NOT RETURN TO GATE DUE TO TXWY CONGESTION. A CREW MEMBER WAS STATIONED AT EACH DOOR TO INSURE PAX SAFETY AND REARM THE SLIDES IF NECESSARY. DOORS REMAINED OPENED FOR 10 MINS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 249738: DURING THE DELAY CAPT ORDERED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO OPEN THE CABIN DOORS TO ALLOW FOR MORE VENTILATION AS THE ACFT WAS VERY WARM INSIDE THE CABIN. WHEN CAPT WAS QUESTIONED BY THE FLT SVC MGR AND OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS AS TO THE SAFETY NATURE OF THE COMMAND; HE ORDERED THE DOORS TO BE OPENED ANYWAY. THE MCD AND AGD'S WERE OPENED WITH A FLT ATTENDANT STANDING BY GUARDING EACH DOOR.