Flight crew fails to assure engine intake plugs have been removed from the engines for start.

Attributes
ACN	321187
Time
Date	199511
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : laf
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
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 : 125 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	321187
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 205 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 855
ASRS Report	321117
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure 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

Narrative:

The morning of nov/xa/95 my first officer and myself began our first flight of the day duties. I did a walk around prior to aircraft entrance and the first officer did his normal detailed preflight inspection. After completion of the preflight we began and completed the acceptance check first flight items. At this point we were ready for start. Both engines started and ran normal. After completion of most items on the before takeoff check we had yet to complete the nts check. As I began to bring the engine up to the required RPM I heard a loud noise which came from the engine, I immediately shut it down at this point. After shutdown of the remaining engine at the gate, the ramp personnel brought to my attention that we still had the engine oil cooler duct plug still in, which also meant the engine inlet plug was also in. This was the reason for the loud noise that made me shut the engine down. The engine ingested the intake plug. The ramp personnel are responsible for overnighting an aircraft which involves inserting the plugs into the engines. The morning ramp personnel are also responsible for pulling out the plugs and placing them in the bag where they belong. The first officer noticed the plug in the left engine during preflight, however, did not remove it. He assumed that it was the ramp's responsibility to remove them and did not want to interfere with their job description. This was not brought to my attention. The ramp personnel on duty that morning said he did not see any plug in the left engine, however, did pull them out of the right engine. Unfortunately, the first officer saw the plug but it was after the ramp guy had already did his morning procedures. Apparently the first officer did not realize that the ramp guy was finished with their morning preparation of the aircraft. The end result was a seriously damaged engine due to an ingestion of an inlet plug. Other facts: it was XA45 am, dark, we were continuous duty all night (fatigue).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FAILS TO ASSURE ENG INTAKE PLUGS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ENGS FOR START.

Narrative: THE MORNING OF NOV/XA/95 MY FO AND MYSELF BEGAN OUR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY DUTIES. I DID A WALK AROUND PRIOR TO ACFT ENTRANCE AND THE FO DID HIS NORMAL DETAILED PREFLT INSPECTION. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PREFLT WE BEGAN AND COMPLETED THE ACCEPTANCE CHK FIRST FLT ITEMS. AT THIS POINT WE WERE READY FOR START. BOTH ENGS STARTED AND RAN NORMAL. AFTER COMPLETION OF MOST ITEMS ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHK WE HAD YET TO COMPLETE THE NTS CHK. AS I BEGAN TO BRING THE ENG UP TO THE REQUIRED RPM I HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHICH CAME FROM THE ENG, I IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT DOWN AT THIS POINT. AFTER SHUTDOWN OF THE REMAINING ENG AT THE GATE, THE RAMP PERSONNEL BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT WE STILL HAD THE ENG OIL COOLER DUCT PLUG STILL IN, WHICH ALSO MEANT THE ENG INLET PLUG WAS ALSO IN. THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE LOUD NOISE THAT MADE ME SHUT THE ENG DOWN. THE ENG INGESTED THE INTAKE PLUG. THE RAMP PERSONNEL ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERNIGHTING AN ACFT WHICH INVOLVES INSERTING THE PLUGS INTO THE ENGS. THE MORNING RAMP PERSONNEL ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR PULLING OUT THE PLUGS AND PLACING THEM IN THE BAG WHERE THEY BELONG. THE FO NOTICED THE PLUG IN THE L ENG DURING PREFLT, HOWEVER, DID NOT REMOVE IT. HE ASSUMED THAT IT WAS THE RAMP'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REMOVE THEM AND DID NOT WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION. THIS WAS NOT BROUGHT TO MY ATTN. THE RAMP PERSONNEL ON DUTY THAT MORNING SAID HE DID NOT SEE ANY PLUG IN THE L ENG, HOWEVER, DID PULL THEM OUT OF THE R ENG. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FO SAW THE PLUG BUT IT WAS AFTER THE RAMP GUY HAD ALREADY DID HIS MORNING PROCS. APPARENTLY THE FO DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE RAMP GUY WAS FINISHED WITH THEIR MORNING PREPARATION OF THE ACFT. THE END RESULT WAS A SERIOUSLY DAMAGED ENG DUE TO AN INGESTION OF AN INLET PLUG. OTHER FACTS: IT WAS XA45 AM, DARK, WE WERE CONTINUOUS DUTY ALL NIGHT (FATIGUE).

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.