Refueling panel door left open -- broke and caused damage in-flight.

Attributes
ACN	315067
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfi
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	315067
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 105 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 3200
ASRS Report	315065
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flight anc-sea diverted to boeing field when seattle went below CAT ii minimums. Aircraft was refueled and dispatched to seattle. After arrival in seattle it was discovered that the refueling panel door had been left open and refueling cap was missing. The fuel cap separated from aircraft after scratching and pounding the underside of wing. The incident started with boeing field ground parking us across the airport on a taxiway, so we had limited services. (We had to use the fueler's ladder to get on and off the aircraft for preflight, and release paperwork. The B737-200 in all cargo does not allow access to rear stairs with large containers.) after receiving paperwork and doing walkaround, the fueler assisted me back on the airplane with the use of his ladder through the forward entry door. At this point he must have forgotten to close the refueling door. If we had a ground crew for engine start, they might have caught the door open. Also, 1 of our 8 B737- 200's has a refueling door open light on the overhead annunciator door lights. This might be a good time to install the refueling door caution light on the remaining B737's.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REFUELING PANEL DOOR LEFT OPEN -- BROKE AND CAUSED DAMAGE INFLT.

Narrative: FLT ANC-SEA DIVERTED TO BOEING FIELD WHEN SEATTLE WENT BELOW CAT II MINIMUMS. ACFT WAS REFUELED AND DISPATCHED TO SEATTLE. AFTER ARR IN SEATTLE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REFUELING PANEL DOOR HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN AND REFUELING CAP WAS MISSING. THE FUEL CAP SEPARATED FROM ACFT AFTER SCRATCHING AND POUNDING THE UNDERSIDE OF WING. THE INCIDENT STARTED WITH BOEING FIELD GND PARKING US ACROSS THE ARPT ON A TXWY, SO WE HAD LIMITED SVCS. (WE HAD TO USE THE FUELER'S LADDER TO GET ON AND OFF THE ACFT FOR PREFLT, AND RELEASE PAPERWORK. THE B737-200 IN ALL CARGO DOES NOT ALLOW ACCESS TO REAR STAIRS WITH LARGE CONTAINERS.) AFTER RECEIVING PAPERWORK AND DOING WALKAROUND, THE FUELER ASSISTED ME BACK ON THE AIRPLANE WITH THE USE OF HIS LADDER THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. AT THIS POINT HE MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN TO CLOSE THE REFUELING DOOR. IF WE HAD A GND CREW FOR ENG START, THEY MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT THE DOOR OPEN. ALSO, 1 OF OUR 8 B737- 200'S HAS A REFUELING DOOR OPEN LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR DOOR LIGHTS. THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO INSTALL THE REFUELING DOOR CAUTION LIGHT ON THE REMAINING B737'S.

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.