Narrative:

Arriving at sxm found that APU would not start. When the aircraft would also not accept ground power, we decided to shut down last engine and went to operations while ground crew looked for another gpu. Returning to aircraft, we were informed that passenger boarding had already begun and that the aircraft wouldn't accept power from second gpu either. Contract maintenance personnel were unable to find any solutions, which left us with a plane full of hot passenger but not fuel. The only way to power aircraft for fueling was to start left engine. Fueling with passenger on board meant left forward and entry door must be left open with boarding stairs attached. While not only very loud for our passenger, we found ourselves with an engine running for approximately 20 mins while fueling and baggage handling were taking place on other side of aircraft (approximately 12 people) and passenger from other flts were filing by just in front of our aircraft. We sort of committed to this situation in steps, but when we saw the final picture, we weren't too sure of its level of safety. Turns out all we would have needed were 2 fuses to get the aircraft to accept ground power, but neither us or the maintenance folks knew that. At a remote location that we only service once a day, and without the level of support that we're used to, we may have settled for a situation that we otherwise wouldn't have let happen. Next time will look harder for the best solution instead of the fastest solution.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC HAD TO RUN ENG FOR PWR TO FUEL ACFT BECAUSE APU AND GND PWR INOP. PAX BOARDED IN FRONT OF RUNNING ENG.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT SXM FOUND THAT APU WOULD NOT START. WHEN THE ACFT WOULD ALSO NOT ACCEPT GND PWR, WE DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN LAST ENG AND WENT TO OPS WHILE GND CREW LOOKED FOR ANOTHER GPU. RETURNING TO ACFT, WE WERE INFORMED THAT PAX BOARDING HAD ALREADY BEGUN AND THAT THE ACFT WOULDN'T ACCEPT PWR FROM SECOND GPU EITHER. CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY SOLUTIONS, WHICH LEFT US WITH A PLANE FULL OF HOT PAX BUT NOT FUEL. THE ONLY WAY TO PWR ACFT FOR FUELING WAS TO START L ENG. FUELING WITH PAX ON BOARD MEANT L FORWARD AND ENTRY DOOR MUST BE LEFT OPEN WITH BOARDING STAIRS ATTACHED. WHILE NOT ONLY VERY LOUD FOR OUR PAX, WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH AN ENG RUNNING FOR APPROX 20 MINS WHILE FUELING AND BAGGAGE HANDLING WERE TAKING PLACE ON OTHER SIDE OF ACFT (APPROX 12 PEOPLE) AND PAX FROM OTHER FLTS WERE FILING BY JUST IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT. WE SORT OF COMMITTED TO THIS SIT IN STEPS, BUT WHEN WE SAW THE FINAL PICTURE, WE WEREN'T TOO SURE OF ITS LEVEL OF SAFETY. TURNS OUT ALL WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED WERE 2 FUSES TO GET THE ACFT TO ACCEPT GND PWR, BUT NEITHER US OR THE MAINT FOLKS KNEW THAT. AT A REMOTE LOCATION THAT WE ONLY SVC ONCE A DAY, AND WITHOUT THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT WE'RE USED TO, WE MAY HAVE SETTLED FOR A SIT THAT WE OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE LET HAPPEN. NEXT TIME WILL LOOK HARDER FOR THE BEST SOLUTION INSTEAD OF THE FASTEST SOLUTION.

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.