Light transport flight crew starts #2 engine while fueler is completing fueling on other engine.

Attributes
ACN	340479
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdg
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
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 : 190 flight time total : 3370 flight time type : 1325
ASRS Report	340479
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
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:

Quick turn after late arrival. On leaving aircraft to check WX, ordered outboard fuel tanks topped -- fueler parked on right wing. On return to aircraft passenger boarded immediately. I cleared the wings, checked caps and requested a start on #2. I was cleared to start and started #2. I then returned to paperwork, weight and balance, etc. On handing the manifest out my window I saw that the fueler was still fueling on the left. The tank was almost topped -- I took no action. Apparently we had started #2 while the fueler was repositioning. We are part 135 and are not to even have the master switch on while fueling according to our general operations manual. Contributing factors were the rush to quick turn, and incomplete use of the before-start checklist (ie, I ran the complete check except I 'knew' that the fuel was topped because I 'saw' him top it. I didn't look at the gauges which would have indicated that fueling was not complete.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT FLC STARTS #2 ENG WHILE FUELER IS COMPLETING FUELING ON OTHER ENG.

Narrative: QUICK TURN AFTER LATE ARR. ON LEAVING ACFT TO CHK WX, ORDERED OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS TOPPED -- FUELER PARKED ON R WING. ON RETURN TO ACFT PAX BOARDED IMMEDIATELY. I CLRED THE WINGS, CHKED CAPS AND REQUESTED A START ON #2. I WAS CLRED TO START AND STARTED #2. I THEN RETURNED TO PAPERWORK, WT AND BAL, ETC. ON HANDING THE MANIFEST OUT MY WINDOW I SAW THAT THE FUELER WAS STILL FUELING ON THE L. THE TANK WAS ALMOST TOPPED -- I TOOK NO ACTION. APPARENTLY WE HAD STARTED #2 WHILE THE FUELER WAS REPOSITIONING. WE ARE PART 135 AND ARE NOT TO EVEN HAVE THE MASTER SWITCH ON WHILE FUELING ACCORDING TO OUR GENERAL OPS MANUAL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE RUSH TO QUICK TURN, AND INCOMPLETE USE OF THE BEFORE-START CHKLIST (IE, I RAN THE COMPLETE CHK EXCEPT I 'KNEW' THAT THE FUEL WAS TOPPED BECAUSE I 'SAW' HIM TOP IT. I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE GAUGES WHICH WOULD HAVE INDICATED THAT FUELING WAS NOT COMPLETE.

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.