Narrative:

Upon reporting for duty after 27 1/2 hour layover at phoenix, first officer and I were notified by clerk in office that we had departed the aircraft the previous morning and had left the #1 engine running. You can imagine our surprise and disbelief. To the best of our knowledge it was our belief that the engines were shut down and checklist completed. Obviously this was not true as verified by several people in the area including the outbound first officer who came up and shut down the engine. This was the second day of a 3 day sequence and we had just flown 2 legs phl-ord-phx. Total time of 5 plus 40 after getting up at early body time to leave hotel for departure out of phl to prd. This was second night of insufficient sleep as I had to leave house at previous day for departure out of lax to phl. Insufficient crew rest is obviously a big factor. The other area of concern is the non standard operation of parking SOP's. We used to have a cut and dried method of operation whereas we would start the APU, always, and upon parking, could shut off both engines and run our sops and checklist and complete cockpit duties. Now we sometimes start the APU, and most of the time do not and wait for ground power to be connected with the right engine shutdown and partial completion of sops until ground power is hooked up and then completion of left engine shutdown and finish of sops, in report, checklist, logbook, etc. Sometimes I have had to wait 8-10 min for ground power and sometimes I look out window to see ground personnel motioned to start APU as ground power is inoperative or will not stay on line. It is a very confusing time in our otherwise neat and orderly world. Particularly if you are tired and low on sleep. I might add a final note, I am presently a line check airman and believe in sops and preach them to the nth degree and would never not do a checklist or on purpose leave an aircraft with the engines running. This must be a more common problem than we are led to believe since the checklist was recently changed to include, engine fuel levers cut off, fuel flow zero.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER PARKING ACFT AT GATE, FLC DEPARTED THE ACFT LEAVING #1 ENG RUNNING.

Narrative: UPON RPTING FOR DUTY AFTER 27 1/2 HR LAYOVER AT PHOENIX, FO AND I WERE NOTIFIED BY CLERK IN OFFICE THAT WE HAD DEPARTED THE ACFT THE PREVIOUS MORNING AND HAD LEFT THE #1 ENG RUNNING. YOU CAN IMAGINE OUR SURPRISE AND DISBELIEF. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE IT WAS OUR BELIEF THAT THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND CHKLIST COMPLETED. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS NOT TRUE AS VERIFIED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE AREA INCLUDING THE OUTBOUND FO WHO CAME UP AND SHUT DOWN THE ENG. THIS WAS THE SECOND DAY OF A 3 DAY SEQUENCE AND WE HAD JUST FLOWN 2 LEGS PHL-ORD-PHX. TOTAL TIME OF 5 PLUS 40 AFTER GETTING UP AT EARLY BODY TIME TO LEAVE HOTEL FOR DEP OUT OF PHL TO PRD. THIS WAS SECOND NIGHT OF INSUFFICIENT SLEEP AS I HAD TO LEAVE HOUSE AT PREVIOUS DAY FOR DEP OUT OF LAX TO PHL. INSUFFICIENT CREW REST IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG FACTOR. THE OTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS THE NON STANDARD OP OF PARKING SOP'S. WE USED TO HAVE A CUT AND DRIED METHOD OF OP WHEREAS WE WOULD START THE APU, ALWAYS, AND UPON PARKING, COULD SHUT OFF BOTH ENGS AND RUN OUR SOPS AND CHKLIST AND COMPLETE COCKPIT DUTIES. NOW WE SOMETIMES START THE APU, AND MOST OF THE TIME DO NOT AND WAIT FOR GND PWR TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE R ENG SHUTDOWN AND PARTIAL COMPLETION OF SOPS UNTIL GND PWR IS HOOKED UP AND THEN COMPLETION OF L ENG SHUTDOWN AND FINISH OF SOPS, IN RPT, CHKLIST, LOGBOOK, ETC. SOMETIMES I HAVE HAD TO WAIT 8-10 MIN FOR GND PWR AND SOMETIMES I LOOK OUT WINDOW TO SEE GND PERSONNEL MOTIONED TO START APU AS GND PWR IS INOP OR WILL NOT STAY ON LINE. IT IS A VERY CONFUSING TIME IN OUR OTHERWISE NEAT AND ORDERLY WORLD. PARTICULARLY IF YOU ARE TIRED AND LOW ON SLEEP. I MIGHT ADD A FINAL NOTE, I AM PRESENTLY A LINE CHK AIRMAN AND BELIEVE IN SOPS AND PREACH THEM TO THE NTH DEGREE AND WOULD NEVER NOT DO A CHKLIST OR ON PURPOSE LEAVE AN ACFT WITH THE ENGS RUNNING. THIS MUST BE A MORE COMMON PROBLEM THAN WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE SINCE THE CHKLIST WAS RECENTLY CHANGED TO INCLUDE, ENG FUEL LEVERS CUT OFF, FUEL FLOW ZERO.

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.