A320 CAPT WANTED A PLANE CHANGE AFTER THE #2 PACK WAS DEFERRED INOP PER THE MEL; AND THE #1 PACK BECAME INOP ON TAXI.
Synopsis
A320 CAPT WANTED A PLANE CHANGE AFTER THE #2 PACK WAS DEFERRED INOP PER THE MEL; AND THE #1 PACK BECAME INOP ON TAXI.
Narrative
THE ACFT WE WERE ASSIGNED CAME IN WITH A DEFERRED INOP #2 PACK. ON TAXI OUT; THE #1 PACK BECAME INOP. AFTER CONTACTING MAINT CTLR; WE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL RESETS OF VARIOUS TYPES TO CORRECT THE PROB TO NO AVAIL. AS A RESULT; WE RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR MAINT. UPON RETURN TO THE GATE; THE CAPT PHONED THE DISPATCHER AND EXPRESSED HIS DESIRE TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER ACFT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE PROB AND THE FACT THAT MAINT HAD 4 TECHNICIANS WORKING THE PROB AND UNABLE TO FORMULATE A 'FIX.' THE DISPATCHER APPEARED TO AGREE WITH THE CAPT ON THIS ASSESSMENT AND SAID HE WOULD MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CALLS. APPROX 45 MINS LATER IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE MAINT CTLR; IT WAS RELAYED TO THE CAPT THAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE; HOWEVER; MAINT WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK THE PROB. THE CAPT MADE IT CLR TO THE LCL CTLR THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THIS PROB THAT ANOTHER ACFT BE UTILIZED. THE LCL CTLR INDICATED THAT HE WAS LOOKING. ANOTHER 40 MINS TRANSPIRED WITH NO COM FROM THE LCL CTLR. THE GATE AGENT RELAYED TO THE CAPT THAT IT APPEARED AS IF MAINT WOULD HAVE THE ACFT FIXED SOON (INFO OBTAINED FROM MAINT). AT THIS POINT THE CAPT TELEPHONED THE FLT DUTY MGR TO INFORM HIM OF THE SIT AND 'MADE IT CLR' THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS BEING REQUESTED. THE FLT DUTY MGR AGREED WITH THE CAPT AND SAID 'I WOULD DO THE SAME THING' (THE FLT DUTY MGR FLIES THE SAME TYPE ACFT AS THE CAPT). THE FLT DUTY MGR SAID HE WOULD CALL THE OPS MGMNT MGR AND RELAY THIS INFO. 10 MINS LATER; THE CAPT RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE LCL CTLR INDICATING THAT NEITHER THE DISPATCHER NOR THE OPS MGMNT MGR WOULD ISSUE A TELEX ON THIS ISSUE WHAT IS WHAT HE NEEDS TO SWAP OUT ACFT. ACCORDING TO THE CTLR; BOTH HAD STATED THAT MAINT HAD FIXED THE ACFT AND AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED THERE IS NO ISSUE. AT THIS POINT; THE CAPT FELT COERCED INTO TAKING THE ACFT DUE TO THE LACK OF SUPPORT THROUGH ONE WORD OUT THE CHAIN AND ALSO THE FACT THAT IF HE WALKED OFF THE ACFT FOR NO APPARENT REASON ACCORDING TO THE DISPATCHER AND OPS MGMNT MGR HE WOULD BE PENALIZED MONETARILY AS THE NEW PLT CONTRACT ONLY COMPENSATES FOR 'HARD TIME.' KNOWING THAT A LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION WOULD NOT BE A 'LIFE OR DEATH' SIT; THE CAPT FLEW THE ACFT; UNEVENTFULLY AS IT TURNED OUT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.