B737-300 CREW WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE R PACK MEL'ED INOP. THE L PACK FAILED IN ZKC CLASS A. THE CREW MADE AN EMER DSCNT; AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

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WE DEPARTED MCI OPERATING UNDER MEL FOR SINGLE PACK OP; THE R PACK INOP. PRIOR TO PAX ONLOAD; THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE MEL WITH ONE ANOTHER AND INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE SIT. AS IT WAS A VERY WARM DAY IN MCI; I SET THE PACK AT FULL COLD/AUTO. ONCE AT CRUISE ALT AND WITH A COMFORTABLE CABIN TEMP; I RESET THE PACK TO MID-RANGE. AT FL240 DURING CRUISE FLT; APPROX 135 NM N OF AMA; AND ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE FLT; THE L PACK TRIPPED OFF WITH AN ASSOCIATED CAUTION LIGHT. THE CABIN ALT BEGAN TO CLB AT A RAPID RATE. WE DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS; INITIATED A RAPID DSCNT TO 10000 FT MSL; AND INFORMED CTR OF OUR SIT. DURING THE DSCNT; THE CAPT INFORMED THE A FLT ATTENDANT OF THE SIT. THE MAX CABIN ALT REACHED WAS 10000 FT MSL; SO THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE RAN THE ASSOCIATED QRH CHKLISTS; BUT THE L PACK FAILED TO REMAIN OPERATIONAL. WE REQUESTED AND OBTAINED CLRNC TO AMA. ONCE HEADED TO AMA; THE CAPT PASSED CTLS OF THE ACFT TO ME AND ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH DISPATCH. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS; THE CAPT REQUESTED ATC CONTACT AND INFORM COMPANY DISPATCH OF OUR SIT AND DIVERSION. THE CAPT ALSO SPOKE WITH ANOTHER COMPANY FLT AND REQUESTED THE OTHER FLT TO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT. ENRTE TO AMA; THE CAPT BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF THE SIT AND OUR PLAN OVER THE INTERCOM; THEN BRIEFED THE PAX OF THE SIT AND OUR PLAN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS REMAINED CALM AND PROFESSIONAL DURING THE EVENT; AND AS A RESULT; THE PAX REMAINED CALM. ABOUT 35 NM FROM AMA; THE CAPT REACHED DISPATCH; AND HAD THE DISPATCH RELEASE AMENDED TO REFLECT THE DIVERT TO AMA. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL APCH; LNDG; AND TAXI INTO THE GATE. ONCE AT THE GATE; WE DEPLANED; HAD THE MEL CLRED; REBOARDED; AND FLEW TO LAX. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW; THIS EVENT WAS A POSITIVE EXPRESSION OF CRM. THE COCKPIT; CABIN CREW; ATC; AND THE SECOND COMPANY ACFT ALL DID A GREAT JOB OF COMMUNICATING. THE ADDITION OF ACARS WOULD HAVE MADE IT EASIER FOR THE CAPT TO COM WITH DISPATCH AT AN EARLIER POINT IN THE EVENT.