Narrative:

The decision was made by me to divert air carrier flight xyz to ZZZ after numerous en route holding patterns had eroded our fuel condition to a point where any holding in the terminal area would put us in a low fuel situation. In addition, we also wanted to avoid the anticipated rush to alternates by other fuel starved aircraft. Air carrier's ZZZ operation rarely services DC10 aircraft. Our plan was to briefly stop for fuel and redispatch to our original destination. Challenges began mounting when we had to leave engine #2 running because of an inoperative APU. Our ground service personnel had difficulty connecting an adequate gpu. Unbeknownst to me there was such a desire to turn us around quickly, that the fueler attached and began fueling the aircraft while engine #2 was still running, unusual, but permitted by our company's policy. The fueling procedure was almost completed before my so notified me that fueling was indeed taking place. Soon after recognizing this, the gpu was properly attached and supplying power to the aircraft, I secured the #2 engine. I suspect that the eagerness to fuel the aircraft was due in part by the fueler's desire to seek shelter from the heavy rain that was falling at the time. The reason for this report is that during all the activity at this fuel stop an airstairs was not brought up to the aircraft offering passenger exit should it have been necessary. This is required during refueling by air carrier operations manual, section entitled aircraft servicing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-10 WAS FUELED WITH PAX ON BOARD WITHOUT AN AIRSTAIR OR JETWAY POSITIONED ON THE ACFT FOR AN EMER EXIT.

Narrative: THE DECISION WAS MADE BY ME TO DIVERT ACR FLT XYZ TO ZZZ AFTER NUMEROUS ENRTE HOLDING PATTERNS HAD ERODED OUR FUEL CONDITION TO A POINT WHERE ANY HOLDING IN THE TERMINAL AREA WOULD PUT US IN A LOW FUEL SIT. IN ADDITION, WE ALSO WANTED TO AVOID THE ANTICIPATED RUSH TO ALTERNATES BY OTHER FUEL STARVED ACFT. ACR'S ZZZ OP RARELY SVCS DC10 ACFT. OUR PLAN WAS TO BRIEFLY STOP FOR FUEL AND REDISPATCH TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST. CHALLENGES BEGAN MOUNTING WHEN WE HAD TO LEAVE ENG #2 RUNNING BECAUSE OF AN INOP APU. OUR GND SVC PERSONNEL HAD DIFFICULTY CONNECTING AN ADEQUATE GPU. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME THERE WAS SUCH A DESIRE TO TURN US AROUND QUICKLY, THAT THE FUELER ATTACHED AND BEGAN FUELING THE ACFT WHILE ENG #2 WAS STILL RUNNING, UNUSUAL, BUT PERMITTED BY OUR COMPANY'S POLICY. THE FUELING PROC WAS ALMOST COMPLETED BEFORE MY SO NOTIFIED ME THAT FUELING WAS INDEED TAKING PLACE. SOON AFTER RECOGNIZING THIS, THE GPU WAS PROPERLY ATTACHED AND SUPPLYING PWR TO THE ACFT, I SECURED THE #2 ENG. I SUSPECT THAT THE EAGERNESS TO FUEL THE ACFT WAS DUE IN PART BY THE FUELER'S DESIRE TO SEEK SHELTER FROM THE HVY RAIN THAT WAS FALLING AT THE TIME. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS THAT DURING ALL THE ACTIVITY AT THIS FUEL STOP AN AIRSTAIRS WAS NOT BROUGHT UP TO THE ACFT OFFERING PAX EXIT SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY. THIS IS REQUIRED DURING REFUELING BY ACR OPS MANUAL, SECTION ENTITLED ACFT SVCING.

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.