Narrative:

Aircraft was pwred up in hangar for a weekly check of all system. The mechanic on duty asked me a question about cockpit light dimming. Upon entering cockpit, I discovered that the WX radar was on and in the WX mode. I informed the mechanic of the situation and turned the radar off. The mechanic that was performing the weekly checks had made several passes in close proximity to the nose and also informed me he had put his head against the nose cone of the aircraft to determine the noise being emitted from the antenna sweep. This is the second known occurrence of the radar being left on in the hangar. Not only was the mechanic doing the weekly checks exposed to the RF radiation, but also the mechanic who met the aircraft in the morning -- a very dangerous situation. Contributing factors: 1) flight crew on inbound flight failed to turn radar off after landing. 2) flight crew's failure to follow checklist 'radar off' is on the check list 2 times after landing. After landing checklist and parking checklist. 3) unusual hour of flight, returned to hangar at XA00. 4) extra long duty day (fatigue). Captain of flight had reported for duty at XA15 and left at XG00 for a couple of hours, reported back for duty at about XK00 and flew until his return at XT00. Almost a 15 hour duty day. 5) mechanic's failure to turn off non essential equipment before pwring up aircraft. 6) chief pilot's failure to address problem after same event happened to me. A written report was filed on my event. 7) poor morale and attitudes within our flight operations. I think this is a significant safety issue which has not been addressed to this day. I would welcome any information on radiation safety with airborne WX radar. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has brought this problem to the attention of the chief pilot with no results.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FFJ PLT NOTES THAT WX RADAR WAS LEFT PWRED ON DURING MAINT CHK AT LNS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PWRED UP IN HANGAR FOR A WKLY CHK OF ALL SYS. THE MECH ON DUTY ASKED ME A QUESTION ABOUT COCKPIT LIGHT DIMMING. UPON ENTERING COCKPIT, I DISCOVERED THAT THE WX RADAR WAS ON AND IN THE WX MODE. I INFORMED THE MECH OF THE SIT AND TURNED THE RADAR OFF. THE MECH THAT WAS PERFORMING THE WKLY CHKS HAD MADE SEVERAL PASSES IN CLOSE PROX TO THE NOSE AND ALSO INFORMED ME HE HAD PUT HIS HEAD AGAINST THE NOSE CONE OF THE ACFT TO DETERMINE THE NOISE BEING EMITTED FROM THE ANTENNA SWEEP. THIS IS THE SECOND KNOWN OCCURRENCE OF THE RADAR BEING LEFT ON IN THE HANGAR. NOT ONLY WAS THE MECH DOING THE WKLY CHKS EXPOSED TO THE RF RADIATION, BUT ALSO THE MECH WHO MET THE ACFT IN THE MORNING -- A VERY DANGEROUS SIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) FLC ON INBOUND FLT FAILED TO TURN RADAR OFF AFTER LNDG. 2) FLC'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW CHKLIST 'RADAR OFF' IS ON THE CHK LIST 2 TIMES AFTER LNDG. AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND PARKING CHKLIST. 3) UNUSUAL HR OF FLT, RETURNED TO HANGAR AT XA00. 4) EXTRA LONG DUTY DAY (FATIGUE). CAPT OF FLT HAD RPTED FOR DUTY AT XA15 AND LEFT AT XG00 FOR A COUPLE OF HRS, RPTED BACK FOR DUTY AT ABOUT XK00 AND FLEW UNTIL HIS RETURN AT XT00. ALMOST A 15 HR DUTY DAY. 5) MECH'S FAILURE TO TURN OFF NON ESSENTIAL EQUIP BEFORE PWRING UP ACFT. 6) CHIEF PLT'S FAILURE TO ADDRESS PROB AFTER SAME EVENT HAPPENED TO ME. A WRITTEN RPT WAS FILED ON MY EVENT. 7) POOR MORALE AND ATTITUDES WITHIN OUR FLT OPS. I THINK THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED TO THIS DAY. I WOULD WELCOME ANY INFO ON RADIATION SAFETY WITH AIRBORNE WX RADAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS BROUGHT THIS PROB TO THE ATTN OF THE CHIEF PLT WITH NO RESULTS.

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.