DO328 departs iad with broken APU access door.

Attributes
ACN	431154
Time
Date	199903
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Do 328 TP (Turboprop)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	431154
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

It all started on the early morning flight from iad to pit. We waited approximately 2 hours to get deiced that morning. Once we were deiced, we proceeded by stating the engines. We normally have an APU, but this particular aircraft did not have one installed. Our company procedure is to start both engines using ground power and then signal for the ground power to be disconnected. That is exactly what we did. The problem arose when the ground crew could not close the cover to the ground power connector. We waited approximately 2 mins for the ground crew to close the cover. (Not sure if they closed it.) after this 2 mins the ground crew began to marshall us out of our parking. As we began to move, we heard a pilot in another aircraft telling operations that our cover was not closed. At this point we stopped the aircraft and waited while 3 ground crew again tried to close the cover. I initially thought the problem was the first ground person who tried to close the cover. I did not feel that there was a problem with the cover, but only with the person closing it. During the second attempt to close the cover, I noticed the person closing the cover seemed to be a manager on the ramp. I felt at this point that the cover would be closed quickly. It took them a couple of mins. My first concern arises over the fact that I did not feather or shut down the engine closest to the cover. As stated earlier, our procedure is to start both engines and then unplug the gpu. Although this is the procedure, the fact that there was a problem closing the cover may have dictated a different procedure. My second concern is the fact that we flew a broken aircraft from iad to pit. Upon arrival in pit, we found out that the gpu connector had been damaged. The ground crew in iad should have told us. The aircraft arrived in iad the night before, which means the damage occurred between that time and the next morning. I feel that the ground crew was very inexperienced, they caused the problem and continued to make it worse by not telling us. (Also, I probably could have taken more responsibility and suspected a mechanical problem.) even though I knew the ground crew was inexperienced, I should have looked beyond that.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DO328 DEPARTS IAD WITH BROKEN APU ACCESS DOOR.

Narrative: IT ALL STARTED ON THE EARLY MORNING FLT FROM IAD TO PIT. WE WAITED APPROX 2 HRS TO GET DEICED THAT MORNING. ONCE WE WERE DEICED, WE PROCEEDED BY STATING THE ENGS. WE NORMALLY HAVE AN APU, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ACFT DID NOT HAVE ONE INSTALLED. OUR COMPANY PROC IS TO START BOTH ENGS USING GND PWR AND THEN SIGNAL FOR THE GND PWR TO BE DISCONNECTED. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. THE PROB AROSE WHEN THE GND CREW COULD NOT CLOSE THE COVER TO THE GND PWR CONNECTOR. WE WAITED APPROX 2 MINS FOR THE GND CREW TO CLOSE THE COVER. (NOT SURE IF THEY CLOSED IT.) AFTER THIS 2 MINS THE GND CREW BEGAN TO MARSHALL US OUT OF OUR PARKING. AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE, WE HEARD A PLT IN ANOTHER ACFT TELLING OPS THAT OUR COVER WAS NOT CLOSED. AT THIS POINT WE STOPPED THE ACFT AND WAITED WHILE 3 GND CREW AGAIN TRIED TO CLOSE THE COVER. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THE PROB WAS THE FIRST GND PERSON WHO TRIED TO CLOSE THE COVER. I DID NOT FEEL THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE COVER, BUT ONLY WITH THE PERSON CLOSING IT. DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE COVER, I NOTICED THE PERSON CLOSING THE COVER SEEMED TO BE A MGR ON THE RAMP. I FELT AT THIS POINT THAT THE COVER WOULD BE CLOSED QUICKLY. IT TOOK THEM A COUPLE OF MINS. MY FIRST CONCERN ARISES OVER THE FACT THAT I DID NOT FEATHER OR SHUT DOWN THE ENG CLOSEST TO THE COVER. AS STATED EARLIER, OUR PROC IS TO START BOTH ENGS AND THEN UNPLUG THE GPU. ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE PROC, THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A PROB CLOSING THE COVER MAY HAVE DICTATED A DIFFERENT PROC. MY SECOND CONCERN IS THE FACT THAT WE FLEW A BROKEN ACFT FROM IAD TO PIT. UPON ARR IN PIT, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE GPU CONNECTOR HAD BEEN DAMAGED. THE GND CREW IN IAD SHOULD HAVE TOLD US. THE ACFT ARRIVED IN IAD THE NIGHT BEFORE, WHICH MEANS THE DAMAGE OCCURRED BTWN THAT TIME AND THE NEXT MORNING. I FEEL THAT THE GND CREW WAS VERY INEXPERIENCED, THEY CAUSED THE PROB AND CONTINUED TO MAKE IT WORSE BY NOT TELLING US. (ALSO, I PROBABLY COULD HAVE TAKEN MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSPECTED A MECHANICAL PROB.) EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE GND CREW WAS INEXPERIENCED, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED BEYOND THAT.

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.