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An air carrier flight crew finds that their contract fueler is untrained in refueling with fuel gauges inoperative. Had to be aided by an airline operations agent who had 'done it a long time ago.'
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 338015 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| 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 : 85 flight time total : 9100 flight time type : 85 |
| ASRS Report | 338015 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Second leg with aircraft that had 2 outstanding maintenance carryover items on the fueling system which required special procedures for refueling. Noticing a delay in ord, I went to find the fueler. He was a contract person who confided he should know how to refuel, but that he had not been trained yet. Found a 'company' person who had 'done it a long time ago.' this is an example of downsizing gone bad. If it is to work, planes must be fixed and/or people trained. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that he has received a response from his company that the fueling contractor is conducting classes on gauge inoperative procedures for both its personnel and the airline's operational personnel. The reporter alleged that this reaction was due to the fact that he had told the company that he had sent in a NASA form.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC FINDS THAT THEIR CONTRACT FUELER IS UNTRAINED IN REFUELING WITH FUEL GAUGES INOP. HAD TO BE AIDED BY AN AIRLINE OPS AGENT WHO HAD 'DONE IT A LONG TIME AGO.'
Narrative: SECOND LEG WITH ACFT THAT HAD 2 OUTSTANDING MAINT CARRYOVER ITEMS ON THE FUELING SYS WHICH REQUIRED SPECIAL PROCS FOR REFUELING. NOTICING A DELAY IN ORD, I WENT TO FIND THE FUELER. HE WAS A CONTRACT PERSON WHO CONFIDED HE SHOULD KNOW HOW TO REFUEL, BUT THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN TRAINED YET. FOUND A 'COMPANY' PERSON WHO HAD 'DONE IT A LONG TIME AGO.' THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF DOWNSIZING GONE BAD. IF IT IS TO WORK, PLANES MUST BE FIXED AND/OR PEOPLE TRAINED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAS RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM HIS COMPANY THAT THE FUELING CONTRACTOR IS CONDUCTING CLASSES ON GAUGE INOP PROCS FOR BOTH ITS PERSONNEL AND THE AIRLINE'S OPERATIONAL PERSONNEL. THE RPTR ALLEGED THAT THIS REACTION WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE HAD TOLD THE COMPANY THAT HE HAD SENT IN A NASA FORM.
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.