Narrative:

Our crew arrived at the gate approximately 35 minutes prior to departure. A red out of service tag was on the throttles. The logbook showed the left a/C pack written up for not operating after engine start. I performed a walkaround and noted that maintenance was occurring in the tail of the aircraft. I returned to the cockpit and waited for information from the mechanics on the status of the aircraft before beginning my preflight checks. Approximately 10-15 mins prior to scheduled departure, we received clearance to accomplish our preflight checks. The items were nearly complete after 10-15 mins when a mechanic came into the cockpit saying we needed to start the left engine to verify operation of the left pack. The mechanic left the cockpit for a few moments to see if the engine was clear. I asked the captain if he was ready for the before start checklist and we began reading the checklist. We were approximately halfway through the checklist when the mechanic reentered the cockpit saying the engine was clear for start. The captain initiated the start sequence. The engine started normally. After start the mechanic attempted to verify operation of the left pack. The pack would not operate. After 1-2 mins of troubleshooting, the mechanic said we needed to advance the power to check operation of the pack. The throttle was advanced and the aircraft moved forward. The forward entry door was forced against the jetway. The aircraft was stopped and the parking brake set. The tug had not been connected to the aircraft. I am not sure if the aircraft had been chocked. The tug was connected and the aircraft pushed back to its normal position. At this point it was determined that the entry door had been damaged and could not be closed properly. The jetway also had some minor damage. Another aircraft was substituted and the flight departed for its destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENGINE STARTED AT GATE WITHOUT BRAKES SET, CHOCKS OR TUG HOOKED UP. ACFT MOVES AND JAMS MAIN ENTRANCE DOOR AGAINST JETWAY.

Narrative: OUR CREW ARRIVED AT THE GATE APPROX 35 MINUTES PRIOR TO DEP. A RED OUT OF SERVICE TAG WAS ON THE THROTTLES. THE LOGBOOK SHOWED THE LEFT A/C PACK WRITTEN UP FOR NOT OPERATING AFTER ENGINE START. I PERFORMED A WALKAROUND AND NOTED THAT MAINT WAS OCCURRING IN THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND WAITED FOR INFO FROM THE MECHANICS ON THE STATUS OF THE ACFT BEFORE BEGINNING MY PREFLT CHECKS. APPROX 10-15 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP, WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO ACCOMPLISH OUR PREFLT CHECKS. THE ITEMS WERE NEARLY COMPLETE AFTER 10-15 MINS WHEN A MECHANIC CAME INTO THE COCKPIT SAYING WE NEEDED TO START THE LEFT ENGINE TO VERIFY OPERATION OF THE LEFT PACK. THE MECHANIC LEFT THE COCKPIT FOR A FEW MOMENTS TO SEE IF THE ENGINE WAS CLEAR. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS READY FOR THE BEFORE START CHECKLIST AND WE BEGAN READING THE CHECKLIST. WE WERE APPROX HALFWAY THROUGH THE CHECKLIST WHEN THE MECHANIC REENTERED THE COCKPIT SAYING THE ENGINE WAS CLEAR FOR START. THE CAPT INITIATED THE START SEQUENCE. THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY. AFTER START THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO VERIFY OPERATION OF THE LEFT PACK. THE PACK WOULD NOT OPERATE. AFTER 1-2 MINS OF TROUBLESHOOTING, THE MECHANIC SAID WE NEEDED TO ADVANCE THE POWER TO CHECK OPERATION OF THE PACK. THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED AND THE ACFT MOVED FORWARD. THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR WAS FORCED AGAINST THE JETWAY. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AND THE PARKING BRAKE SET. THE TUG HAD NOT BEEN CONNECTED TO THE ACFT. I AM NOT SURE IF THE ACFT HAD BEEN CHOCKED. THE TUG WAS CONNECTED AND THE ACFT PUSHED BACK TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. AT THIS POINT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENTRY DOOR HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND COULD NOT BE CLOSED PROPERLY. THE JETWAY ALSO HAD SOME MINOR DAMAGE. ANOTHER ACFT WAS SUBSTITUTED AND THE FLT DEPARTED FOR ITS DEST.

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.