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Super MD80 on pushback discovered APU not enough air to start engines. Ground power unit used to start engines. Checked MEL and thought flight crew could defer the APU. Later found not deferrable by the flight crew.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 356845 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| 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 | MD-80 Super 80 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 356845 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 356844 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After pushback APU failed to produce sufficient air to start engines. I checked the MEL and read the 'note' at the top of the page that said to placard the air portion of the APU using the item number. Directly below the note there is a yes in the crew placarding column for the APU. An aircart was brought out to the aircraft, no gate return, and the aircraft was started and the APU shut down. Later I reviewed MEL item in detail and learned item xx, air portion of the APU, is not crew placardable. Supplemental information from acn 356844: closer inspection of MEL item xy note showed reference to item xx for placarding. This item has a no in the flight crew placarding permitted column. Distracting factors included oversold aircraft with rushed boarding, last min jump seat rider, late departure, and inbound aircraft taking our gate after our pushback.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SUPER MD80 ON PUSHBACK DISCOVERED APU NOT ENOUGH AIR TO START ENGS. GND PWR UNIT USED TO START ENGS. CHKED MEL AND THOUGHT FLC COULD DEFER THE APU. LATER FOUND NOT DEFERRABLE BY THE FLC.
Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK APU FAILED TO PRODUCE SUFFICIENT AIR TO START ENGS. I CHKED THE MEL AND READ THE 'NOTE' AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE THAT SAID TO PLACARD THE AIR PORTION OF THE APU USING THE ITEM NUMBER. DIRECTLY BELOW THE NOTE THERE IS A YES IN THE CREW PLACARDING COLUMN FOR THE APU. AN AIRCART WAS BROUGHT OUT TO THE ACFT, NO GATE RETURN, AND THE ACFT WAS STARTED AND THE APU SHUT DOWN. LATER I REVIEWED MEL ITEM IN DETAIL AND LEARNED ITEM XX, AIR PORTION OF THE APU, IS NOT CREW PLACARDABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 356844: CLOSER INSPECTION OF MEL ITEM XY NOTE SHOWED REF TO ITEM XX FOR PLACARDING. THIS ITEM HAS A NO IN THE FLC PLACARDING PERMITTED COLUMN. DISTRACTING FACTORS INCLUDED OVERSOLD ACFT WITH RUSHED BOARDING, LAST MIN JUMP SEAT RIDER, LATE DEP, AND INBOUND ACFT TAKING OUR GATE AFTER OUR PUSHBACK.
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.