Narrative:

After arrival at sea gate and completing the shutdown checklist, I received a call from a flight attendant asking when the stairs were to arrive. I notified operations again that aircraft has no stairs and the use of air stairs are required. Operations advised the air stairs were at gate and would be right there. I notified the flight attendants the air stairs would be available momentarily. Upon my exiting the aircraft after completing all shutdown and termination checklists (with exception of the exit lights), I noticed the air stair truck was not in the proper position and the L-2 door was not open. In the same time period ramp was in the process of removing igloo #2. I requested the first officer to call operations and I proceeded down the cargo truck to the ramp to find out why the air stairs were non functioning. As I approached the air stair truck I saw it was hitting the L-2 door about 2 ft from the bottom. In this position there is no way the door would open. The truck would not operate after it was put into gear. The ground crew told me they were not familiar with the operation of the truck or the stair control at the aft. I asked for another set of stairs. The reply given to me was, 'they were looking for a new set but were unsure where they were, possibly at air cargo.' I enlisted the ground crew to get the truck moved. Since it would not operate in gear we placed it in neutral so the back ramps could be lifted. Then we proceeded to push the truck away from the aircraft and adjusted the alignment to the door and positioned it back to unload passenger. The passenger were very upset and disappointed with the delay and deservingly so, after they had a minimum of a 20 min delay! Upon my return to the cockpit the fueler had just given the first officer a fuel slip. I was very upset with first the door problems, and the fact the aircraft was fueled with passenger aboard with no door exit in case of emergency for at least 10 mins. The only way out would have been to use the R-2 with the escape slide since the truck was blocking the L-2 door. I believe this was a very dangerous situation. The first officer and I were completely unaware of the fueling underway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NO STAIRS AVAILABLE TO EXIT PAX AND FUELING WAS CONDUCTED WITH PAX ON BOARD.

Narrative: AFTER ARR AT SEA GATE AND COMPLETING THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FLT ATTENDANT ASKING WHEN THE STAIRS WERE TO ARRIVE. I NOTIFIED OPS AGAIN THAT ACFT HAS NO STAIRS AND THE USE OF AIR STAIRS ARE REQUIRED. OPS ADVISED THE AIR STAIRS WERE AT GATE AND WOULD BE RIGHT THERE. I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THE AIR STAIRS WOULD BE AVAILABLE MOMENTARILY. UPON MY EXITING THE ACFT AFTER COMPLETING ALL SHUTDOWN AND TERMINATION CHKLISTS (WITH EXCEPTION OF THE EXIT LIGHTS), I NOTICED THE AIR STAIR TRUCK WAS NOT IN THE PROPER POS AND THE L-2 DOOR WAS NOT OPEN. IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD RAMP WAS IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING IGLOO #2. I REQUESTED THE FO TO CALL OPS AND I PROCEEDED DOWN THE CARGO TRUCK TO THE RAMP TO FIND OUT WHY THE AIR STAIRS WERE NON FUNCTIONING. AS I APCHED THE AIR STAIR TRUCK I SAW IT WAS HITTING THE L-2 DOOR ABOUT 2 FT FROM THE BOTTOM. IN THIS POS THERE IS NO WAY THE DOOR WOULD OPEN. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT OPERATE AFTER IT WAS PUT INTO GEAR. THE GND CREW TOLD ME THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE OP OF THE TRUCK OR THE STAIR CTL AT THE AFT. I ASKED FOR ANOTHER SET OF STAIRS. THE REPLY GIVEN TO ME WAS, 'THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A NEW SET BUT WERE UNSURE WHERE THEY WERE, POSSIBLY AT AIR CARGO.' I ENLISTED THE GND CREW TO GET THE TRUCK MOVED. SINCE IT WOULD NOT OPERATE IN GEAR WE PLACED IT IN NEUTRAL SO THE BACK RAMPS COULD BE LIFTED. THEN WE PROCEEDED TO PUSH THE TRUCK AWAY FROM THE ACFT AND ADJUSTED THE ALIGNMENT TO THE DOOR AND POSITIONED IT BACK TO UNLOAD PAX. THE PAX WERE VERY UPSET AND DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DELAY AND DESERVINGLY SO, AFTER THEY HAD A MINIMUM OF A 20 MIN DELAY! UPON MY RETURN TO THE COCKPIT THE FUELER HAD JUST GIVEN THE FO A FUEL SLIP. I WAS VERY UPSET WITH FIRST THE DOOR PROBS, AND THE FACT THE ACFT WAS FUELED WITH PAX ABOARD WITH NO DOOR EXIT IN CASE OF EMER FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS. THE ONLY WAY OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO USE THE R-2 WITH THE ESCAPE SLIDE SINCE THE TRUCK WAS BLOCKING THE L-2 DOOR. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SIT. THE FO AND I WERE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE FUELING UNDERWAY.

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.