An A320 loses a fueling door sometime after takeoff from lax, ca.

Attributes
ACN	479057
Time
Date	200007
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : ns
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	479057
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	478819
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : elam
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

When we arrived at the gate, ground servicing of our aircraft was delayed because airport aircraft refuelers were understaffed. Fueling occurred at departure time. Our assumption is that door was closed but not completely svced as operations 'refueling' message was absent from lower ECAM during taxi and takeoff roll. This message showed up on landing as aircraft logic does not display this message in-flight when there is no weight on wheels. We apparently lost refueling door as we accelerated to cruise speed out over the pacific ocean. This problem could be remedied by additional review of all access panels by ground crew just prior to pushback. This procedure is listed in our flight operations manual, but often training at outstations and with contract ground crew is less than our standards require. Supplemental information from acn 478819: this message on A320 only displayed on the ground with the refueling door panel open. To the flight crew, it appears the fueler did not appropriately secure the refueling panel door latches.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 LOSES A FUELING DOOR SOMETIME AFTER TKOF FROM LAX, CA.

Narrative: WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE, GND SVCING OF OUR ACFT WAS DELAYED BECAUSE ARPT ACFT REFUELERS WERE UNDERSTAFFED. FUELING OCCURRED AT DEP TIME. OUR ASSUMPTION IS THAT DOOR WAS CLOSED BUT NOT COMPLETELY SVCED AS OPS 'REFUELING' MESSAGE WAS ABSENT FROM LOWER ECAM DURING TAXI AND TKOF ROLL. THIS MESSAGE SHOWED UP ON LNDG AS ACFT LOGIC DOES NOT DISPLAY THIS MESSAGE INFLT WHEN THERE IS NO WT ON WHEELS. WE APPARENTLY LOST REFUELING DOOR AS WE ACCELERATED TO CRUISE SPD OUT OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THIS PROB COULD BE REMEDIED BY ADDITIONAL REVIEW OF ALL ACCESS PANELS BY GND CREW JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. THIS PROC IS LISTED IN OUR FLT OPS MANUAL, BUT OFTEN TRAINING AT OUTSTATIONS AND WITH CONTRACT GND CREW IS LESS THAN OUR STANDARDS REQUIRE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 478819: THIS MESSAGE ON A320 ONLY DISPLAYED ON THE GND WITH THE REFUELING DOOR PANEL OPEN. TO THE FLC, IT APPEARS THE FUELER DID NOT APPROPRIATELY SECURE THE REFUELING PANEL DOOR LATCHES.

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.