37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 1663622 |
Time | |
Date | 201907 |
Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
State Reference | US |
Environment | |
Light | Dusk |
Aircraft 1 | |
Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | Taxi |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Function | Captain Pilot Flying |
Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine |
Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 647 |
Events | |
Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Ground Event / Encounter FOD |
Narrative:
We arrived at the top of the j-line for ZZZ gate X; where we noticed the following: the large trash dumpsters between ZZZ gate X and Y were overflowing with trash; top lids open; side doors open; and trash was blowing onto the flight line. I noticed a large amount of FOD (foreign object damage) in the safety zone. I stopped the aircraft and called ZZZ ops on the radio to have the FOD removed. None of the ramp agents responded to the FOD in the safety zone. In fact; a ramp agent walked through the safety zone and nearly stepped on the FOD without noticing it. A yellow shirt ramp supervisor was trying to wave me into the safety zone as the marshaler was waving his wands trying to do the same thing; while our safety zone was trashed with FOD. I called ZZZ ops again; requesting that the large amount of FOD be removed from the safety zone. Finally; the yellow shirt ramp supervisor stepped into the safety zone and picked up many pieces of FOD/trash; but as I noticed after I arrived at the gate; there was still lots of FOD in the safety zone near the #1 engine. As we were being marshalled into the safety zone; I noticed the right wing walker was not paying any attention to our right wing; as he was facing the terminal building; walking toward the wand storage cones where he proceeded to stow his wands; while we had just entered the safety zone; and he continued to walk toward the terminal with his back to our right wing. I stopped the aircraft. I called ZZZ ops a third time requesting that the right wing walker retrieve his orange wands and watch our right wing as we proceeded into the safety zone.after the flight; I spoke with the [ramp operations manager] about what had happened. He agreed with me that this was not how the operation was supposed to go. I asked him to arrange to have the dumpsters secured and FOD removed from around the aircraft; and he agreed to do that. He also said he would speak to the right wing walker who attempted to walk away from his duties before the aircraft came all the way into the safety zone. While unloading 2;800 pounds of cargo; the yellow shirt supervisor placed his body on the forward right side of the belt loader while it was being adjusted up while his head and shoulders were between the loader and the opening of the forward cargo bay. I had to say something; hoping he would not place his upper body and head in a position to be crushed! ZZZ continues to disregard safety rules and SOP. It is as if nobody is in charge; nobody is paying attention; and that nobody cares. There was a yellow shirt supervisor who watched the entire recovery; did not notice the FOD; did not notice the open trash dumpsters spewing FOD onto the flight line; and did not notice the right wing walker with no wands/not paying any attention to wing clearance. I recommend that company vp of ground operations conduct unscheduled 'no notice' visits to ZZZ to ensure compliance with safety rules and SOP.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Air Carrier Captain reported FOD blowing onto the flight line and multiple breaches of safety procedures by ground personnel.
Narrative: We arrived at the top of the J-line for ZZZ Gate X; where we noticed the following: The large trash dumpsters between ZZZ Gate X and Y were overflowing with trash; top lids open; side doors open; and trash was blowing onto the flight line. I noticed a large amount of FOD (Foreign Object Damage) in the Safety Zone. I stopped the aircraft and called ZZZ Ops on the radio to have the FOD removed. None of the ramp agents responded to the FOD in the Safety Zone. In fact; a Ramp Agent walked through the Safety Zone and nearly stepped on the FOD without noticing it. A yellow shirt Ramp Supervisor was trying to wave me into the Safety Zone as the Marshaler was waving his wands trying to do the same thing; while our Safety Zone was trashed with FOD. I called ZZZ Ops again; requesting that the large amount of FOD be removed from the Safety Zone. Finally; the yellow shirt Ramp Supervisor stepped into the Safety Zone and picked up many pieces of FOD/trash; but as I noticed after I arrived at the gate; there was still lots of FOD in the Safety Zone near the #1 engine. As we were being marshalled into the Safety Zone; I noticed the right wing walker was not paying any attention to our right wing; as he was facing the terminal building; walking toward the wand storage cones where he proceeded to stow his wands; while we had just entered the Safety Zone; and he continued to walk toward the terminal with his back to our right wing. I stopped the aircraft. I called ZZZ Ops a third time requesting that the right wing walker retrieve his orange wands and watch our right wing as we proceeded into the Safety Zone.After the flight; I spoke with the [Ramp Operations Manager] about what had happened. He agreed with me that this was not how the operation was supposed to go. I asked him to arrange to have the dumpsters secured and FOD removed from around the aircraft; and he agreed to do that. He also said he would speak to the right wing walker who attempted to walk away from his duties before the aircraft came all the way into the Safety Zone. While unloading 2;800 pounds of cargo; the yellow shirt Supervisor placed his body on the forward right side of the belt loader while it was being adjusted up while his head and shoulders were between the loader and the opening of the forward cargo bay. I had to say something; hoping he would not place his upper body and head in a position to be crushed! ZZZ continues to disregard safety rules and SOP. It is as if nobody is in charge; nobody is paying attention; and that nobody cares. There was a yellow shirt Supervisor who watched the entire recovery; did not notice the FOD; did not notice the open trash dumpsters spewing FOD onto the flight line; and did not notice the right wing walker with no wands/not paying any attention to wing clearance. I recommend that Company VP of Ground Operations conduct unscheduled 'no notice' visits to ZZZ to ensure compliance with safety rules and SOP.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.