Failed APU was started before flight departed the airport.

Attributes
ACN	122582
Time
Date	198909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
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	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 460 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	122582
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	122580
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At departure time at dfw, ground personnel asked captain if they could take the ground external power off the aircraft. Captain gave an affirmative answer. F/east and captain, at that moment, realized that the APU was not started. F/east attempted to start APU before external power was removed. APU start sequence is interrupted and will not start. Captain called ground personnel to reconnect external power. Ground personnel did as they were instructed. F/east then attempted to start APU. 2 attempts to start APU were unsuccessful. Captain asked for ground personnel to get a ground air start cart. With ground external air and electric supply crew started engines 1 and 3 at gate. Crew got permission to push back from the gate and did so. In the ramp area the captain asked the F/east to restart APU. The APU started and operated normally at this point until the takeoff clearance was received.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED APU WAS STARTED BEFORE FLT DEPARTED THE ARPT.

Narrative: AT DEP TIME AT DFW, GND PERSONNEL ASKED CAPT IF THEY COULD TAKE THE GND EXTERNAL PWR OFF THE ACFT. CAPT GAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER. F/E AND CAPT, AT THAT MOMENT, REALIZED THAT THE APU WAS NOT STARTED. F/E ATTEMPTED TO START APU BEFORE EXTERNAL PWR WAS REMOVED. APU START SEQUENCE IS INTERRUPTED AND WILL NOT START. CAPT CALLED GND PERSONNEL TO RECONNECT EXTERNAL PWR. GND PERSONNEL DID AS THEY WERE INSTRUCTED. F/E THEN ATTEMPTED TO START APU. 2 ATTEMPTS TO START APU WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. CAPT ASKED FOR GND PERSONNEL TO GET A GND AIR START CART. WITH GND EXTERNAL AIR AND ELECTRIC SUPPLY CREW STARTED ENGS 1 AND 3 AT GATE. CREW GOT PERMISSION TO PUSH BACK FROM THE GATE AND DID SO. IN THE RAMP AREA THE CAPT ASKED THE F/E TO RESTART APU. THE APU STARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY AT THIS POINT UNTIL THE TKOF CLRNC WAS RECEIVED.

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.