Mavi-Gok B737-800 in Turkey forced back to terminal

[BonnieLass]

The aircraft was due to leave for Germany but was forced back to the terminal when pax realised the cabin was overheating to 52 degrees. A Turkish doctor on board "begged" the flight crew not to take off as they feared the children on board might die.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13524003/Holidaymakers-swelter-52C-heat-Boeing-plane-air-conditioning-failure-doctor-begs-pilot-turn-warning-children-die.html

(You will note that the Mail has approached Boeing for comment after the standard response from the airline)

[alfaman]

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/holidaymakers-swelter-in-52c-heat-on-plane-after-air-con-failure/ar-BB1o7rWA

[Smooth Airperator]

It defies belief to me how "Cabin Hot" is not an ECAM/EICAS caution in the year 2024.

[tdracer]

Something doesn't quite make sense here. If the aircraft was hot because the AC packs weren't working (remember, there is more than one), the AC packs are also responsible for pressurizing the aircraft in flight. So if the real cause was the AC packs, they couldn't dispatch because they'd be unable to pressurize the aircraft once airborne.

Someone (most likely the operator) is being less than truthful.

[Uplinker]

The packs were most likely turned off on the ground. This is a stupid SOP often required by airlines - certainly one I was employed by - to save fuel, and therefore money, and the pax have to endure cold or hot cabins until after take-off.

One would have hoped that 52°C would have prompted packs on though.

[tdracer]

One would have hoped that 52°C would have prompted packs on though.
Particularly as the high temps lead to a ground turn-back.
That has to cost the operator far more than the wear and tear and fuel of running the packs for an hour...

[excrab]

Possibly APU u/s, and sat on the ground with a GPU connected but no conditioned air supply ? More likely than a/c packs not working for reasons stated above. Easier to say to pax on the PA that there is a problem with the air conditioning than to start explaining what an APU is.

[tdracer]

Possibly APU u/s, and sat on the ground with a GPU connected but no conditioned air supply ? More likely than a/c packs not working for reasons stated above. Easier to say to pax on the PA that there is a problem with the air conditioning than to start explaining what an APU is.
But at some point they are going to need air to start the engines.
If the APU was inop, it would be more sensical to start an engine (with ground air), then use that to run the packs and start the other engine when needed). Sure, it'll burn some fuel, but that's still going to cost less than a turn back (not to mention the reputational damage that the operator is suffering from being headline news).
Penny wise and pound foolish comes to mind...

[Speed_Trim_Fail]

Penny wise and pound foolish comes to mind...

In my experience a good chunk of airline accountants fall into this category - always thinking of the next quarter, not the next 5-10 years.

[Uplinker]

Particularly as the high temps lead to a ground turn-back.
That has to cost the operator far more than the wear and tear and fuel of running the packs for an hour......... not to mention the suffering of the passengers and crew.

You know that :ok:.........I know that :ok:. The people who make these stupid decisions - from their air-conditioned offices, I might add - seem not to realise it :ugh:

Too many companies - not just airlines - treat their customers and staff as sheep these days. Let's hope it was a duff APU, as excrab suggests. Although, why not fix the APU, and why not run the packs from the engine bleeds on the ground ?

[Waster]

But how will it affect the executive bonuses?? You guys are missing the big picture.

[BonnieLass]

I had never heard of Mavi-Gok til this incident at Antalya

They don't appear to be an airline per se, more wet lease and charter type operation, they also have an executive flying section...and they do line maintenance etc.... MGA Technic prioritizes flight safety and provides line maintenance,
engineering support, material supply and logistics services. (oh the irony when one of their own aircraft goes kaput and they still try to leave in it)

https://mga.aero/

[tdracer]

But how will it affect the executive bonuses?? You guys are missing the big picture.

I'd say the costs of a ground turnback and the associated negative publicity for the operator is not going to have a positive effect on the executive bonuses.

[SQUAWKIDENT]

Neither the Daily Mail or MSN are particularly well-respected news sources so I wonder if this "story" is even real. Any reliable sources available?

[BonnieLass]

Neither the Daily Mail or MSN are particularly well-respected news sources so I wonder if this "story" is even real. Any reliable sources available?

The German media Bild has it covered (unable to link due to adblocking I cannot do so)

Not sure if this will work for anyone

https://www.bild.de/regional/nordrhein-westfalen/antalya-189-deutsche-tuerkei-urlauber-in-ueberhitztem-flugzeug-gefangen-6666ffe4f8d64c5750032582

[Speed_Trim_Fail]

The German media Bild has it covered (unable to link due to adblocking I cannot do so)

I wouldn’t rate Bild as the most reliable of sources either…

[wiggy]

Possibly APU u/s, and sat on the ground with a GPU connected but no conditioned air supply ? More likely than a/c packs not working for reasons stated above. Easier to say to pax on the PA that there is a problem with the air conditioning than to start explaining what an APU is.

That’s exactly what I’d be thinking..and whilst it’s fashionable to maybe blame it on being typical LoCo behaviour I have vague memories of it happening more than once on some of the world’s favourite airline’s 744s at the world’s busiest international airport….as for ground conditioned air at that place, supposed to be easier now I believe but wasn’t really the done thing for years…

I’m pretty sure I remembering it got so bad at one point one summer there were instances of guys getting permission to briefly run #4 before boarding (‘elf and safety, guv) to get the cabin temps down as low as poss, shutting down and then hoping boarding could be completed pronto before cabin temps ramped up again.

[tdracer]

Neither the Daily Mail or MSN are particularly well-respected news sources so I wonder if this "story" is even real. Any reliable sources available?
While the specifics and severity of the event may well (quite likely?) have been exaggerated, I seriously doubt they made up the story out of whole cloth. Not familiar with UK Liability laws, but MSN would be setting themselves up for a massive liability lawsuit.

[threep]

As SLF, I remember a flight from Japan to the Russian Far East in the height of summer. It was about 35°C+ outside, but considerably hotter in the cabin of the Tu-154. I don't know if there was a technical fault, non-availability of a ground cart or that was simply how they designed it, but it was deeply uncomfortable.

[Lascaille]

Neither the Daily Mail or MSN are particularly well-respected news sources so I wonder if this "story" is even real. Any reliable sources available?

Not wrong to be skeptical, the news media seem to be doing their absolute best to gin up tons of hysteria over anything to do with air travel.

It's almost like they want everyone back in their cages COVID style!

[jolihokistix]

On the contrary, much of what happens is probably kept under a lid. On Tuesday 12 June at Haneda we (F1 006) 737-8(9?)to Heathrow were delayed repeatedly by a ‘ small technical problem’. A group of technicians seemed to spend much time standing around the nose wheel and connectors. Eventually the luggage was off-loaded, the plane was towed away, and 200 passengers and crew were faced with having to source another flight and/or having to reverse all the immigration and border controls to collect their luggage and finally five or six hours later) make their way to the excellent airport hotel.Goodness knows what the whole exercise cost, and I admired the poor ground staff who had to find the time and energy to deal with everyone. Next day (13 June) we went through all the processes once more onto presumably the same now fully packed aircraft; thankfully the flight went smoothly.

[artee]

On the contrary, much of what happens is probably kept under a lid. On Tuesday 12 June at Haneda we (F1 006) 737-8(9?)to Heathrow were delayed repeatedly by a ‘ small technical problem’. A group of technicians seemed to spend much time standing around the nose wheel and connectors. Eventually the luggage was off-loaded, the plane was towed away, and 200 passengers and crew were faced with having to source another flight and/or having to reverse all the immigration and border controls to collect their luggage and finally five or six hours later) make their way to the excellent airport hotel.Goodness knows what the whole exercise cost, and I admired the poor ground staff who had to find the time and energy to deal with everyone. Next day (13 June) we went through all the processes once more onto presumably the same now fully packed aircraft; thankfully the flight went smoothly.
Tokyo-London on a 737. Ouch!

[jolihokistix]

Oops, no it must have been their 787-9 Dreamliner. RR engines. And the 12th was Wednesday! Put it down to jet lag. (A bit of a squeeze, but a lot better inside than I was expecting, though, and do I get credit for venturing onto the same aircraft as the day before?)

[Jack D]

On the contrary, much of what happens is probably kept under a lid. On Tuesday 12 June at Haneda we (F1 006) 737-8(9?)to Heathrow were delayed repeatedly by a ‘ small technical problem’. A group of technicians seemed to spend much time standing around the nose wheel and connectors. Eventually the luggage was off-loaded, the plane was towed away, and 200 passengers and crew were faced with having to source another flight and/or having to reverse all the immigration and border controls to collect their luggage and finally five or six hours later) make their way to the excellent airport hotel.Goodness knows what the whole exercise cost, and I admired the poor ground staff who had to find the time and energy to deal with everyone. Next day (13 June) we went through all the processes once more onto presumably the same now fully packed aircraft; thankfully the flight went smoothly.

Is was then that they realised that any 737 variant could not reach LHR without multiple stops …

[Lascaille]

On the contrary, much of what happens is probably kept under a lid. On Tuesday 12 June at Haneda we (F1 006) 737-8(9?)to Heathrow were delayed repeatedly by a ‘ small technical problem’. A group of technicians seemed to spend much time standing around the nose wheel and connectors. Eventually the luggage was off-loaded, the plane was towed away, and 200 passengers and crew were faced with having to source another flight and/or having to reverse all the immigration and border controls to collect their luggage and finally five or six hours later) make their way to the excellent airport hotel.Goodness knows what the whole exercise cost, and I admired the poor ground staff who had to find the time and energy to deal with everyone. Next day (13 June) we went through all the processes once more onto presumably the same now fully packed aircraft; thankfully the flight went smoothly.

A great many words to describe a perfectly normal tech cancellation which probably happens 50 times a day... not exactly news. I'm sure the pax were well accommodated, for security reasons alone airlines use nice hotels to accommodate unexpected pax. It can be quite a pleasant experience, especially for the budget or student traveller who's usual accommodation is... not... a nice hotel.

[Lonewolf_50]

I'm sure the pax were well accommodated My own experience is the opposite of that in terms of overnight messes like this. May depend on the airline, on the city, and on the time of year.

[BonnieLass]

Seems there is another aircraft that also suffered the same thing as the Mavi-Gok one did. This time, captured on video. Qatar Airways flight from Athens to Doha on June 10th

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13531879/passengers-stranded-plane-aircon-Greece-heatwave.html

Currently across swathes of Greece and Turkey there have been serious heatwave issues, which may have had a bearing on the overheating aircraft cabin problems. Qatar have acknowledged a technical issue on their flight.

[wiggy]

Currently across swathes of Greece and Turkey there have been serious heatwave issues, which may have had a bearing on the overheating aircraft cabin problems.

The heatwave won’t have helped but don’t forget given Boeing/Airbus sell their products to operators who fly into/out of some quite warm sandy places where it can get very very hot on the ramp and in the aircraft cabins if precautions aren’t taken.

I suspect what we’re seeing reported is more likely down to issue with individual aircraft or aircraft/airport procedures rather than the heatwave being so intense it’s overwhelming serviceable A/C.

[777boyo]

I take all Daily Mail aviation reports with a great shovel full of salt. Their reporting is appallingly over sensationalized and clearly written by reporters with no knowledge whatsoever of aviation. And they have a real downer on Boeing at the moment - I'm surprised that the Boeing lawyers are not all over them. Maybe just too busy.