Preflight oversight -- tail pipe plugs.

Attributes
ACN	295084
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn
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	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	295084
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During pushback we were cleared to start engines. During a normal start of the #1 engine the exhaust cover plug, which was still installed, blew out on the ramp, behind the aircraft. Contract maintenance stopped the pushback, picked up the exhaust plug and removed the plug from the #2 engine. The pushback was continued with a normal engine start on both engines. At westchester county airport all ground services are supplied by contract flight services. This is the only station that uses engine plugs on overnights, and they are supposed to remove the plugs on their walk around. The intake plugs were removed, but the exhaust plugs were not. The first officer's are trained in all phases of preflight, and I have complete confidence in my first officer. I feel the exhaust plugs were missed by both contract ground services and the first officer for different reasons. The ground services did half of the job, by removing the intake plugs, but must have been distracted midway through their task, and did not remove their exhaust plugs. The first officer failed to catch the oversight due to the tight, flush fitting exhaust plugs, and the use of engine plugs is unusual for our aircraft type, only occurring at westchester co airport. My first officer assured me he would never miss this item again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PREFLT OVERSIGHT -- TAIL PIPE PLUGS.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK WE WERE CLRED TO START ENGS. DURING A NORMAL START OF THE #1 ENG THE EXHAUST COVER PLUG, WHICH WAS STILL INSTALLED, BLEW OUT ON THE RAMP, BEHIND THE ACFT. CONTRACT MAINT STOPPED THE PUSHBACK, PICKED UP THE EXHAUST PLUG AND REMOVED THE PLUG FROM THE #2 ENG. THE PUSHBACK WAS CONTINUED WITH A NORMAL ENG START ON BOTH ENGS. AT WESTCHESTER COUNTY ARPT ALL GND SVCS ARE SUPPLIED BY CONTRACT FLT SVCS. THIS IS THE ONLY STATION THAT USES ENG PLUGS ON OVERNIGHTS, AND THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REMOVE THE PLUGS ON THEIR WALK AROUND. THE INTAKE PLUGS WERE REMOVED, BUT THE EXHAUST PLUGS WERE NOT. THE FO'S ARE TRAINED IN ALL PHASES OF PREFLT, AND I HAVE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN MY FO. I FEEL THE EXHAUST PLUGS WERE MISSED BY BOTH CONTRACT GND SVCS AND THE FO FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. THE GND SVCS DID HALF OF THE JOB, BY REMOVING THE INTAKE PLUGS, BUT MUST HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED MIDWAY THROUGH THEIR TASK, AND DID NOT REMOVE THEIR EXHAUST PLUGS. THE FO FAILED TO CATCH THE OVERSIGHT DUE TO THE TIGHT, FLUSH FITTING EXHAUST PLUGS, AND THE USE OF ENG PLUGS IS UNUSUAL FOR OUR ACFT TYPE, ONLY OCCURRING AT WESTCHESTER CO ARPT. MY FO ASSURED ME HE WOULD NEVER MISS THIS ITEM AGAIN.

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.