Narrative:

Flight hsv dfw aircraft. The aircraft was dispatched with the APU inoperative also #1 reverser inoperative. Which requires a ground push crew, ground power ground air for start and preconditioned air for cooling -- OAT 90 degree fahrenheit. Before engine start, after departure time we had no communication with ground crew for 5 min prior check in. Since we had an abnormal procedure for start I requested a ground person to come up to the cockpit for a briefing for starting and hand signals. 1 person was briefed -- we proceeded to start the #1 engine. During the start as the fuel lever was opened the external power was pulled from the aircraft. The start was aborted. It took 4-6 mins to get the external power back on the plane. I then demanded they find a working headset they found one. Their question to me once communications was established was do you have 2 normals? Before start, and during start the person on the right side of the aircraft asked the copilot 5 times if they could pull the ground power and air. Once the IRS were realigned and all MFDU messages were cleared, we started both engines and departed normally. This is one good example of the phrase you get what you pay for (air carrier X) is an (air carrier Y) operation! Please have all people involved at hsv retrained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG HAS TROUBLE STARTING ENGS DUE TO POOR PROC AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE PART OF THE GND CREW.

Narrative: FLT HSV DFW ACFT. THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE APU INOP ALSO #1 REVERSER INOP. WHICH REQUIRES A GND PUSH CREW, GND PWR GND AIR FOR START AND PRECONDITIONED AIR FOR COOLING -- OAT 90 DEG FAHRENHEIT. BEFORE ENG START, AFTER DEP TIME WE HAD NO COM WITH GND CREW FOR 5 MIN PRIOR CHK IN. SINCE WE HAD AN ABNORMAL PROC FOR START I REQUESTED A GND PERSON TO COME UP TO THE COCKPIT FOR A BRIEFING FOR STARTING AND HAND SIGNALS. 1 PERSON WAS BRIEFED -- WE PROCEEDED TO START THE #1 ENG. DURING THE START AS THE FUEL LEVER WAS OPENED THE EXTERNAL PWR WAS PULLED FROM THE ACFT. THE START WAS ABORTED. IT TOOK 4-6 MINS TO GET THE EXTERNAL PWR BACK ON THE PLANE. I THEN DEMANDED THEY FIND A WORKING HEADSET THEY FOUND ONE. THEIR QUESTION TO ME ONCE COMS WAS ESTABLISHED WAS DO YOU HAVE 2 NORMALS? BEFORE START, AND DURING START THE PERSON ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT ASKED THE COPLT 5 TIMES IF THEY COULD PULL THE GND PWR AND AIR. ONCE THE IRS WERE REALIGNED AND ALL MFDU MESSAGES WERE CLRED, WE STARTED BOTH ENGS AND DEPARTED NORMALLY. THIS IS ONE GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE PHRASE YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR (ACR X) IS AN (ACR Y) OP! PLEASE HAVE ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED AT HSV RETRAINED.

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.