Narrative:

I sent out a request for information concerning what I perceive to be a safety issue with fueling procedures, and a warning in the preflight section of the B777 manual. The reply that I received stated that this warning applied to offline stations and that a fueling truck is required to fuel the B777. I consider this response to be inadequate. First, if the warning apples only to offline stations then it ought to state that. Second, I do not think this warning out to be a manual to begin with since we as pilots, other than standing outside directing traffic, can do little about it anyway. Third, and most critically, if the issue is that fuel can vent off the wingtips during refueling onto a hot engine of a ground cart then this is an offline issue only since I observe ground equipment under the wings all the time. Finally, I am very aware that a truck needs to be parked under the wing to fuel the B777. My concern is with ground equipment under the right wingtip. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the warning says: do not put ground equipment under the wing during fueling operations.' review by the reporter with the fleet manager revealed that this restr applied only to offline stations and consideration is being made to have it removed from the pilots operating manual since the flight crew usually is not involved in the fueling operation.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT'S CONCERN ABOUT A WARNING IN THE OPERATING MANUAL THAT REFS FUELING AND THE PRESENCE OF GND VEHICLES UNDER THE WING DURING THAT OP.

Narrative: I SENT OUT A REQUEST FOR INFO CONCERNING WHAT I PERCEIVE TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH FUELING PROCS, AND A WARNING IN THE PREFLT SECTION OF THE B777 MANUAL. THE REPLY THAT I RECEIVED STATED THAT THIS WARNING APPLIED TO OFFLINE STATIONS AND THAT A FUELING TRUCK IS REQUIRED TO FUEL THE B777. I CONSIDER THIS RESPONSE TO BE INADEQUATE. FIRST, IF THE WARNING APPLES ONLY TO OFFLINE STATIONS THEN IT OUGHT TO STATE THAT. SECOND, I DO NOT THINK THIS WARNING OUT TO BE A MANUAL TO BEGIN WITH SINCE WE AS PLTS, OTHER THAN STANDING OUTSIDE DIRECTING TFC, CAN DO LITTLE ABOUT IT ANYWAY. THIRD, AND MOST CRITICALLY, IF THE ISSUE IS THAT FUEL CAN VENT OFF THE WINGTIPS DURING REFUELING ONTO A HOT ENG OF A GND CART THEN THIS IS AN OFFLINE ISSUE ONLY SINCE I OBSERVE GND EQUIP UNDER THE WINGS ALL THE TIME. FINALLY, I AM VERY AWARE THAT A TRUCK NEEDS TO BE PARKED UNDER THE WING TO FUEL THE B777. MY CONCERN IS WITH GND EQUIP UNDER THE R WINGTIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE WARNING SAYS: DO NOT PUT GND EQUIP UNDER THE WING DURING FUELING OPS.' REVIEW BY THE RPTR WITH THE FLEET MGR REVEALED THAT THIS RESTR APPLIED ONLY TO OFFLINE STATIONS AND CONSIDERATION IS BEING MADE TO HAVE IT REMOVED FROM THE PLTS OPERATING MANUAL SINCE THE FLC USUALLY IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE FUELING OP.

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.