Narrative:

We arrived with enough fuel, and had, while calling in- range, stated negative fuel. While I was reading back our clearance I noticed another crew preflting our plane. It was our first indication of an unplanned aircraft swap. We got our plane at our departure time, read the originating checklist and reported to the gate. The fueler was called, and as I went in for coffee, he had pulled up. We needed only a few hundred pounds. Then we ran the acceptance and before start checklists. The fueling light was, at the time, out. The fuel was up and the valves were closed. Captain asked if #2 was clear. I looked. It was. The ground agent nodded. A lot of them are casual with their signals and we spun #2. The cabin door was closed by the ramp -- indication that the fueler had unhooked. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eyes, I saw hands waving, arms flailing. The fueler had, apparently, not unhooked. We shut down #2 before it lit off. The fueler had parked by the tail and was not visible to us from the cockpit. In retrospect, the ground crew should have been more clear with hand signals. They shouldn't have shut the door until fueler was gone. The fuelers should park closer to wings edge (or like right in front of us) and we should have looked longer at the lights, as sometimes fueling cycles them on and off. Supplemental information from acn 345963: marshaller should have stayed in view and signaled and flight attendant should not have closed door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DANGEROUS RAMP OP GND REFUELING PROC RAMP DEP PROC RPTED BY DASH 8 FLC.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED WITH ENOUGH FUEL, AND HAD, WHILE CALLING IN- RANGE, STATED NEGATIVE FUEL. WHILE I WAS READING BACK OUR CLRNC I NOTICED ANOTHER CREW PREFLTING OUR PLANE. IT WAS OUR FIRST INDICATION OF AN UNPLANNED ACFT SWAP. WE GOT OUR PLANE AT OUR DEP TIME, READ THE ORIGINATING CHKLIST AND RPTED TO THE GATE. THE FUELER WAS CALLED, AND AS I WENT IN FOR COFFEE, HE HAD PULLED UP. WE NEEDED ONLY A FEW HUNDRED LBS. THEN WE RAN THE ACCEPTANCE AND BEFORE START CHKLISTS. THE FUELING LIGHT WAS, AT THE TIME, OUT. THE FUEL WAS UP AND THE VALVES WERE CLOSED. CAPT ASKED IF #2 WAS CLR. I LOOKED. IT WAS. THE GND AGENT NODDED. A LOT OF THEM ARE CASUAL WITH THEIR SIGNALS AND WE SPUN #2. THE CABIN DOOR WAS CLOSED BY THE RAMP -- INDICATION THAT THE FUELER HAD UNHOOKED. ALL OF A SUDDEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYES, I SAW HANDS WAVING, ARMS FLAILING. THE FUELER HAD, APPARENTLY, NOT UNHOOKED. WE SHUT DOWN #2 BEFORE IT LIT OFF. THE FUELER HAD PARKED BY THE TAIL AND WAS NOT VISIBLE TO US FROM THE COCKPIT. IN RETROSPECT, THE GND CREW SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLR WITH HAND SIGNALS. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE SHUT THE DOOR UNTIL FUELER WAS GONE. THE FUELERS SHOULD PARK CLOSER TO WINGS EDGE (OR LIKE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US) AND WE SHOULD HAVE LOOKED LONGER AT THE LIGHTS, AS SOMETIMES FUELING CYCLES THEM ON AND OFF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 345963: MARSHALLER SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN VIEW AND SIGNALED AND FLT ATTENDANT SHOULD NOT HAVE CLOSED DOOR.

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.