Company procedure to have flcs (fokker 100) start engines early to help on time departures. Ramp worker complained that it was dangerous since sometimes engines were started before ramp personnel had checked in on headset.

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Attributes
ACN	404450
Time
Date	199805
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	404450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I have received several messages encouraging early engine start in order to help make an on time departure. On my way home the other night from my last trip I was talking to a ramp worker and he told me that he could not figure out what the pilots were up to now. He said that on one of the trips he was working that day the pilots had cranked both engines even before anyone from the ramp had checked in on headset. I asked what type aircraft this had been and he said it was a fokker. I told him I would pass this information on in the hopes that this policy could be clarified a bit in order to avoid a hazardous situation. I also explained to him the messages that we have received and he said that as far as he knew none of the ground handling personnel had been advised of this new policy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY PROC TO HAVE FLCS (FOKKER 100) START ENGS EARLY TO HELP ON TIME DEPS. RAMP WORKER COMPLAINED THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS SINCE SOMETIMES ENGS WERE STARTED BEFORE RAMP PERSONNEL HAD CHKED IN ON HEADSET.

Narrative: I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL MESSAGES ENCOURAGING EARLY ENG START IN ORDER TO HELP MAKE AN ON TIME DEP. ON MY WAY HOME THE OTHER NIGHT FROM MY LAST TRIP I WAS TALKING TO A RAMP WORKER AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PLTS WERE UP TO NOW. HE SAID THAT ON ONE OF THE TRIPS HE WAS WORKING THAT DAY THE PLTS HAD CRANKED BOTH ENGS EVEN BEFORE ANYONE FROM THE RAMP HAD CHKED IN ON HEADSET. I ASKED WHAT TYPE ACFT THIS HAD BEEN AND HE SAID IT WAS A FOKKER. I TOLD HIM I WOULD PASS THIS INFO ON IN THE HOPES THAT THIS POLICY COULD BE CLARIFIED A BIT IN ORDER TO AVOID A HAZARDOUS SIT. I ALSO EXPLAINED TO HIM THE MESSAGES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND HE SAID THAT AS FAR AS HE KNEW NONE OF THE GND HANDLING PERSONNEL HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THIS NEW POLICY.

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.