B747-400 CAPTAIN REPORTS RELUCTANCE OF GND PERSONNEL TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE ACFT AND PAX WHEN ACFT EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS AFTER DEPARTING THE GATE REQUIRE RETURN FOR MAINT.
Synopsis
B747-400 CAPTAIN REPORTS RELUCTANCE OF GND PERSONNEL TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE ACFT AND PAX WHEN ACFT EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS AFTER DEPARTING THE GATE REQUIRE RETURN FOR MAINT.
Narrative
ACCEPTED PLANE WITH SATCOM INOP; AND PACK #3 CTLR 'B' INOP. PACKS #1; #2; AND #3 SHOULD WORK OK. UNABLE TO GET PACK #2 TO OPERATE AT GATE UPON ARR. PLANE HOT AS GND PEOPLE; AS USUAL FOR ALL LOCATIONS; REFUSE TO PRECONDITION PLANE FOR PAYING PAX AND CREW SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT. COCKPIT TEMP 93 DEGS F. NO ACTION TO FIX PACK; AS USUAL; DEFERRED. ON TAXI OUT; R WING ANTI-ICE VALVE LIGHT ILLUMINATES. COMPLETE IRREGULAR CHKLIST TO ISOLATE AIR FROM R MANIFOLD AND R WING; WHICH ALSO MEANS PACK #3 NOW INOP. TRY OPS AND GND FOR RETURN TO GATE. USUAL ABRASIVE GND AND RAMP CTL PEOPLE REFUSE PARKING AT ANY GATE ON THE ARPT; DESPITE BEING TOLD WE HAVE INSUFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING AND MUST GET PAX OFF THE ACFT. MANY GATES ARE OPEN; AND WERE STILL OPEN 3 HRS LATER. TEMP REACHES 101 DEGS F IN COCKPIT AND 100 DEGS F IN CABIN ZONES. POOR AIRFLOW WITH PACK #1 ONLY. NO COOPERATION FROM ANYBODY TO GET PEOPLE OFF ACFT. ADVISED GND AND OPS THAT AN EMER WOULD BE DECLARED IN 5 MINS AND WE WOULD PARK SOMEWHERE TO DISEMBARK PAX BEFORE CAUSING MORE PAX ILL WILL AND HEALTH/SAFETY RISK TO ALL ON BOARD. SEVERAL ARGUMENTS LATER; WE ARE OFFERED BUSSES TO REMOVE PAX FROM THE PLANE TO THE TERMINAL IF WE PARK AT REMOTE PARKING. PREVIOUSLY; NO BUSSES WERE TO REMOVE PAX; ONLY PARK THERE. UNACCEPTABLE. AGREED TO BUSSES AND REMOTE. TOOK HRS TO COOL ACFT TO 93 DEGS F COCKPIT AND HIGH 80'S CABIN WITH 1 GND TRUCK AND PACKS #1 AND #3 ON AFTER WING ANTI-ICE VALVE ISSUE FIXED. ALL GND PERSONNEL RESISTED CIVILIZING TENDENCIES UNTIL THE ADVISORY THAT AN EMER WOULD BE DECLARED. I AM NOT GOING TO BE THE CAPT TO POSE HEALTH/SAFETY HARM TO PAX AND CREW; EVEN IF GND PERSONNEL AND GOV ARPT AUTHS REFUSE HEALTH/SAFETY AND A REASONABLE PAX SVC ENVIRONMENT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.