Unauthorized taxi.

Attributes
ACN	274117
Time
Date	199406
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
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	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	274117
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While taxiing for takeoff at lga we were unable to get a start valve light on #3 engine. After talking to maintenance via radio we returned to the hangar line. A mechanic plugged into interphone to block us in and determine our problem. He then unplugged. The next communication I heard was on the first officer overhead speaker. It was a mechanic advising to start #3 engine and that if it did not start we would taxi to a gate to change the starter. The start valve light did not illuminate. A mechanic then drove from behind the airplane to a point of the nose. We could see he was speaking into his radio. On our radio we were being told to start #1 engine and #2 and find ourselves a gate. The truck then drove out of our way. After ramp control cleared us to gate we began to taxi. After about 50 ft the truck drove in front of us. The mechanic jumped out and gave us an immediate stop signal. After we stopped, the mechanic plugged in and told us that we had taxied with the #3 engine cowl open, a stand under the engine and 2 mechanics on the stand. No one was injured. No property was damaged. Since normal communications were not used, the mechanic in the truck, clearing us to start engines #1 and #2 find a gate then driving out of our way was interpreted as his clearing us to taxi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH TAXI.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT LGA WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A START VALVE LIGHT ON #3 ENG. AFTER TALKING TO MAINT VIA RADIO WE RETURNED TO THE HANGAR LINE. A MECH PLUGGED INTO INTERPHONE TO BLOCK US IN AND DETERMINE OUR PROB. HE THEN UNPLUGGED. THE NEXT COM I HEARD WAS ON THE FO OVERHEAD SPEAKER. IT WAS A MECH ADVISING TO START #3 ENG AND THAT IF IT DID NOT START WE WOULD TAXI TO A GATE TO CHANGE THE STARTER. THE START VALVE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. A MECH THEN DROVE FROM BEHIND THE AIRPLANE TO A POINT OF THE NOSE. WE COULD SEE HE WAS SPEAKING INTO HIS RADIO. ON OUR RADIO WE WERE BEING TOLD TO START #1 ENG AND #2 AND FIND OURSELVES A GATE. THE TRUCK THEN DROVE OUT OF OUR WAY. AFTER RAMP CTL CLRED US TO GATE WE BEGAN TO TAXI. AFTER ABOUT 50 FT THE TRUCK DROVE IN FRONT OF US. THE MECH JUMPED OUT AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE STOP SIGNAL. AFTER WE STOPPED, THE MECH PLUGGED IN AND TOLD US THAT WE HAD TAXIED WITH THE #3 ENG COWL OPEN, A STAND UNDER THE ENG AND 2 MECHS ON THE STAND. NO ONE WAS INJURED. NO PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. SINCE NORMAL COMS WERE NOT USED, THE MECH IN THE TRUCK, CLRING US TO START ENGS #1 AND #2 FIND A GATE THEN DRIVING OUT OF OUR WAY WAS INTERPRETED AS HIS CLRING US TO TAXI.

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.