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Contract fueler opened access door on wing, removed a cannon plug, manually operated fueling valve, then replaced cannon plug and closed access panel. Mechanic called to the aircraft protests legality of fueler's actions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 115490 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198906 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 115490 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Medium large transport aircraft at detroit metropolitan airport at gate was being fueled by airport fueling co. The left fueling valve for the left tank would not open. The fueler called for a mechanic and was going to wait. The fueler's supervisor came out to the airplane and proceeded to open an access panel on the wing, removed cannon plug, manually open the fuel valve and then when the fueling of the aircraft was over, this supervisor manually closed the fuel valve, reinstalled the cannon plug and closed the access panel. When the mechanic arrived at the aircraft all of this had already taken place. Airport fueler has the responsibility of fueling, transferring fuel and determining fuel amounts with inoperative gauges. But I do not believe they have the responsibility, knowledge or required FAA licenses to open aircraft panels, remove electrical cannon plugs and manually open valves.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CONTRACT FUELER OPENED ACCESS DOOR ON WING, REMOVED A CANNON PLUG, MANUALLY OPERATED FUELING VALVE, THEN REPLACED CANNON PLUG AND CLOSED ACCESS PANEL. MECHANIC CALLED TO THE ACFT PROTESTS LEGALITY OF FUELER'S ACTIONS.
Narrative: MLG ACFT AT DETROIT METRO ARPT AT GATE WAS BEING FUELED BY ARPT FUELING CO. THE LEFT FUELING VALVE FOR THE LEFT TANK WOULD NOT OPEN. THE FUELER CALLED FOR A MECHANIC AND WAS GOING TO WAIT. THE FUELER'S SUPVR CAME OUT TO THE AIRPLANE AND PROCEEDED TO OPEN AN ACCESS PANEL ON THE WING, REMOVED CANNON PLUG, MANUALLY OPEN THE FUEL VALVE AND THEN WHEN THE FUELING OF THE ACFT WAS OVER, THIS SUPVR MANUALLY CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE, REINSTALLED THE CANNON PLUG AND CLOSED THE ACCESS PANEL. WHEN THE MECHANIC ARRIVED AT THE ACFT ALL OF THIS HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE. ARPT FUELER HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FUELING, TRANSFERRING FUEL AND DETERMINING FUEL AMOUNTS WITH INOP GAUGES. BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY, KNOWLEDGE OR REQUIRED FAA LICENSES TO OPEN ACFT PANELS, REMOVE ELECTRICAL CANNON PLUGS AND MANUALLY OPEN VALVES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.