Narrative:

Upon engine start at daytona airport, we had an APU inoperative and were ready to start. At this time the signal man signalled our standard signal for starting any or all engines. At this time I pointed to the #1 and the #2 engine since I never saw any of the agents to ask them for their preference in starting since they had all the external air and power on the right side of the aircraft. At this time he signalled again to start either or both. So because of this I understood that he meant to start both at the gate, like some stations do. Once we started and they disconnected the power and air we then taxied out and while taxiing, operations called us on the radio and told us that they almost had one of the agents sucked into the #2 engine inlet and started blaming us for the scare that they caused by not using the proper signals, nor informing us of what they had in mind for the start. I believe that there is a problem with our company's procedure since in some stations they want you to start only the left engine. In other stations they want the right only. In others they want both, and in others they don't care. I think that whatever the procedure is, it should be more standardized and also the signal man should use a headset for communication on the interphone or if unable, then he should come to the cockpit to coordinate with the captain, so as to avoid this kind of communications breakdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND CREW MEMBER ALMOST SUCKED INTO AN ENG WHEN IT IS STARTED UNEXPECTEDLY.

Narrative: UPON ENG START AT DAYTONA ARPT, WE HAD AN APU INOP AND WERE READY TO START. AT THIS TIME THE SIGNAL MAN SIGNALLED OUR STANDARD SIGNAL FOR STARTING ANY OR ALL ENGS. AT THIS TIME I POINTED TO THE #1 AND THE #2 ENG SINCE I NEVER SAW ANY OF THE AGENTS TO ASK THEM FOR THEIR PREFERENCE IN STARTING SINCE THEY HAD ALL THE EXTERNAL AIR AND PWR ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME HE SIGNALLED AGAIN TO START EITHER OR BOTH. SO BECAUSE OF THIS I UNDERSTOOD THAT HE MEANT TO START BOTH AT THE GATE, LIKE SOME STATIONS DO. ONCE WE STARTED AND THEY DISCONNECTED THE PWR AND AIR WE THEN TAXIED OUT AND WHILE TAXIING, OPS CALLED US ON THE RADIO AND TOLD US THAT THEY ALMOST HAD ONE OF THE AGENTS SUCKED INTO THE #2 ENG INLET AND STARTED BLAMING US FOR THE SCARE THAT THEY CAUSED BY NOT USING THE PROPER SIGNALS, NOR INFORMING US OF WHAT THEY HAD IN MIND FOR THE START. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A PROB WITH OUR COMPANY'S PROC SINCE IN SOME STATIONS THEY WANT YOU TO START ONLY THE L ENG. IN OTHER STATIONS THEY WANT THE R ONLY. IN OTHERS THEY WANT BOTH, AND IN OTHERS THEY DON'T CARE. I THINK THAT WHATEVER THE PROC IS, IT SHOULD BE MORE STANDARDIZED AND ALSO THE SIGNAL MAN SHOULD USE A HEADSET FOR COM ON THE INTERPHONE OR IF UNABLE, THEN HE SHOULD COME TO THE COCKPIT TO COORDINATE WITH THE CAPT, SO AS TO AVOID THIS KIND OF COMS BREAKDOWN.

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.