Narrative:

The problem arose when I attempted an engine start with a mechanic behind the aircraft on a ladder changing the tail navigation light. This was discovered when 2 other mechanics ran up to the door of the aircraft and told me to abort the start. The engine never lit off because the start was aborted so quickly--it only motored for a few seconds. However, as luck would have it, the FAA was doing ramp inspections that night and saw the whole thing. This did not please them. While they have spoken with several people in the company and say that they wish to speak with me, they have not done so as of yet, and nobody is really sure where they stand on the matter. As far as contributing factors, I had done a complete walk-around of the aircraft a few mins before the event and noted no problems. I got into the cockpit and realized that we were missing the trip sheet for our route that we needed to get from the inbound crew. They had just arrived, and were parked several aircraft behind ours. I got out and went to get the trip sheet, noting once again as I walked to the other aircraft and then back to ours that no work was being done, nor was any about to begin. When I got back into the cockpit the first officer informed me that a mechanic had been by, saying that the aircraft had a tail navigation out when it taxied in and the paperwork needed to be signed off. The first officer turned to get the maintenance sheet and the mechanic disappeared. The mechanic had given the impression, and in fact the first officer firmly believed that the work had already been done, and the mechanic would be right back to sign it off. Since I had just walked around the aircraft (the aircraft had been on the ramp for about 15 mins by this time) and saw nobody working on it. I had no reason to doubt what he told me. At this time we were cleared to leave and told to spin the right engine. I turned on the beacon and navigation lights and asked again to verify we were cleared to leave. We were told 2 more times that we had all the work, spin the right engine. By this time the beacon and navigation lights had been on 10-15 seconds, so we engaged the started and that's when we found out about the mechanic on the ladder. As far as getting the proper work signed off, we figured that starting up would give the mechanic the idea that we were ready to leave and get him back quickly to sign off the paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX CARGO SMT ATTEMPTS JET ENGINE START WITH MECHANIC ON LADDER BEHIND ACFT.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHEN I ATTEMPTED AN ENG START WITH A MECH BEHIND THE ACFT ON A LADDER CHANGING THE TAIL NAV LIGHT. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN 2 OTHER MECHS RAN UP TO THE DOOR OF THE ACFT AND TOLD ME TO ABORT THE START. THE ENG NEVER LIT OFF BECAUSE THE START WAS ABORTED SO QUICKLY--IT ONLY MOTORED FOR A FEW SECS. HOWEVER, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THE FAA WAS DOING RAMP INSPECTIONS THAT NIGHT AND SAW THE WHOLE THING. THIS DID NOT PLEASE THEM. WHILE THEY HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE COMPANY AND SAY THAT THEY WISH TO SPEAK WITH ME, THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO AS OF YET, AND NOBODY IS REALLY SURE WHERE THEY STAND ON THE MATTER. AS FAR AS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, I HAD DONE A COMPLETE WALK-AROUND OF THE ACFT A FEW MINS BEFORE THE EVENT AND NOTED NO PROBS. I GOT INTO THE COCKPIT AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE MISSING THE TRIP SHEET FOR OUR RTE THAT WE NEEDED TO GET FROM THE INBND CREW. THEY HAD JUST ARRIVED, AND WERE PARKED SEVERAL ACFT BEHIND OURS. I GOT OUT AND WENT TO GET THE TRIP SHEET, NOTING ONCE AGAIN AS I WALKED TO THE OTHER ACFT AND THEN BACK TO OURS THAT NO WORK WAS BEING DONE, NOR WAS ANY ABOUT TO BEGIN. WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE COCKPIT THE F/O INFORMED ME THAT A MECH HAD BEEN BY, SAYING THAT THE ACFT HAD A TAIL NAV OUT WHEN IT TAXIED IN AND THE PAPERWORK NEEDED TO BE SIGNED OFF. THE F/O TURNED TO GET THE MAINT SHEET AND THE MECH DISAPPEARED. THE MECH HAD GIVEN THE IMPRESSION, AND IN FACT THE F/O FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT THE WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE, AND THE MECH WOULD BE RIGHT BACK TO SIGN IT OFF. SINCE I HAD JUST WALKED AROUND THE ACFT (THE ACFT HAD BEEN ON THE RAMP FOR ABOUT 15 MINS BY THIS TIME) AND SAW NOBODY WORKING ON IT. I HAD NO REASON TO DOUBT WHAT HE TOLD ME. AT THIS TIME WE WERE CLRED TO LEAVE AND TOLD TO SPIN THE RIGHT ENG. I TURNED ON THE BEACON AND NAV LIGHTS AND ASKED AGAIN TO VERIFY WE WERE CLRED TO LEAVE. WE WERE TOLD 2 MORE TIMES THAT WE HAD ALL THE WORK, SPIN THE RIGHT ENG. BY THIS TIME THE BEACON AND NAV LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON 10-15 SECS, SO WE ENGAGED THE STARTED AND THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MECH ON THE LADDER. AS FAR AS GETTING THE PROPER WORK SIGNED OFF, WE FIGURED THAT STARTING UP WOULD GIVE THE MECH THE IDEA THAT WE WERE READY TO LEAVE AND GET HIM BACK QUICKLY TO SIGN OFF THE PAPERWORK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.