B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 233; Flight Crew Total 9570; Flight Crew Type 9570
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Work Refused
Aircraft; Company Policy
Arrived to the flight planning area and downloaded [flight plan]; for flight [to] SNA; for the second time; and noticed RLS #2 was because of an aircraft change. The TCAS was MEL'd on our new aircraft. I conferred with the First Officer (FO) and I decided that I would refuse [the aircraft]; as I feel that operating the flight with the TCAS inoperative was unsafe. The 10-7 for SNA also states; 'VFR traffic; Use caution for extensive general aviation traffic in the area'. I called and spoke to Dispatch and stated that I am refusing the aircraft. I expected to get some type of pushback or an excuse as why we need to take the aircraft to SNA; but to my pleasure he took my refusal well and I then gave him my number and asked to please call me when they had another aircraft. We were then notified that we had another aircraft change AGAIN (second time) and then it hit me. The reason WE had the original aircraft change in the first place; was that the crew before us also refused this aircraft; and they tried to assign this aircraft to us to take it. We were notified [of] our second new gate.[I then learned that] Dispatch switched the aircraft AGAIN (third time) so they tried to get a THIRD crew to take [the] aircraft with the TCAS on MEL! I met the Captain leaving the flight planning area; explained what happened and he also refused this aircraft!
A B737 Captain reported that when he refused to fly an aircraft to SNA because of heavy light aircraft traffic and an inoperative TCAS his company 'shopped' the aircraft to other flight crews hoping someone would take it.