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An air carrier freighter aircraft operated its APU when it was not to be operated due to being on designated maintenance item (dmi) status.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 338501 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lax |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : clt |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 338501 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far 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 | other |
Narrative:
After landing at los angeles and busy taxiing to the ramp, the APU was started per maintenance request even though so told maintenance that the APU was in designated maintenance item status, and what was discussed with maintenance is unknown. I do know that by the time we were discussing the fact, and very busy with ground control, the APU was running and while getting close to the ramp, left it running. The fact that we had 10 people on board was a thought of safety in the event of a problem and so close to the ramp it was not thought of as a significant problem. I expected maintenance to take care of the problem when we blocked in. In hindsight of course, it is not permissible to operate what is in designated maintenance item status and therefore should not have been started. I can only say that due to being busy with the taxiing, and the fatigue of all of us, maintenance asking so to start the APU, and everything operating just fine with the APU, the thought of the right and wrongs of the APU was lost, but should not have been.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FREIGHTER ACFT OPERATED ITS APU WHEN IT WAS NOT TO BE OPERATED DUE TO BEING ON DESIGNATED MAINT ITEM (DMI) STATUS.
Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT LOS ANGELES AND BUSY TAXIING TO THE RAMP, THE APU WAS STARTED PER MAINT REQUEST EVEN THOUGH SO TOLD MAINT THAT THE APU WAS IN DESIGNATED MAINT ITEM STATUS, AND WHAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH MAINT IS UNKNOWN. I DO KNOW THAT BY THE TIME WE WERE DISCUSSING THE FACT, AND VERY BUSY WITH GND CTL, THE APU WAS RUNNING AND WHILE GETTING CLOSE TO THE RAMP, LEFT IT RUNNING. THE FACT THAT WE HAD 10 PEOPLE ON BOARD WAS A THOUGHT OF SAFETY IN THE EVENT OF A PROB AND SO CLOSE TO THE RAMP IT WAS NOT THOUGHT OF AS A SIGNIFICANT PROB. I EXPECTED MAINT TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROB WHEN WE BLOCKED IN. IN HINDSIGHT OF COURSE, IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO OPERATE WHAT IS IN DESIGNATED MAINT ITEM STATUS AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN STARTED. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT DUE TO BEING BUSY WITH THE TAXIING, AND THE FATIGUE OF ALL OF US, MAINT ASKING SO TO START THE APU, AND EVERYTHING OPERATING JUST FINE WITH THE APU, THE THOUGHT OF THE RIGHT AND WRONGS OF THE APU WAS LOST, BUT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN.
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.