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A fokker 100 incurred an excessive delay due to the APU not starting after shutdown for deicing procedure. Borrowed gpu's also failed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 567343 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200212 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mia.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Fokker 100 |
| 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 |
| ASRS Report | 567343 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
We got the aircraft late, because the aircraft had to be towed to the aircraft Y gate X. The gate did not have ground power, so the crew had to get a ground electric unit so we could shut down the APU for deicing -- this took a few mins. We shut down the APU for deicing, but the APU would not start. We tried 2 starts without success. The ground crew had to go get an air start unit. The starting unit did not work. The ground crew then went to air carrier Y airlines to use their starting unit, but it did not work. I had written up the APU in the log. This was the third or fourth write-up on the APU. When the ground crew told me that they were going to try a starting unit from air carrier Z airlines and it would be another delay, we tried the APU again. This time it started. If we could have left the APU running in the first place, we would have had a chance to be on time. I know if the APU has anti-icing fluid sprayed directly into the air intake, the APU will have problems. Well, we had problems just getting off the gate. It might be better to leave the APU running during deicing, and not spray fluid into the intake of the APU. Ground crew should be instructed to stay away from the APU intake with any type of fluid.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FOKKER 100 INCURRED AN EXCESSIVE DELAY DUE TO THE APU NOT STARTING AFTER SHUTDOWN FOR DEICING PROC. BORROWED GPU'S ALSO FAILED.
Narrative: WE GOT THE ACFT LATE, BECAUSE THE ACFT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE ACFT Y GATE X. THE GATE DID NOT HAVE GND PWR, SO THE CREW HAD TO GET A GND ELECTRIC UNIT SO WE COULD SHUT DOWN THE APU FOR DEICING -- THIS TOOK A FEW MINS. WE SHUT DOWN THE APU FOR DEICING, BUT THE APU WOULD NOT START. WE TRIED 2 STARTS WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE GND CREW HAD TO GO GET AN AIR START UNIT. THE STARTING UNIT DID NOT WORK. THE GND CREW THEN WENT TO ACR Y AIRLINES TO USE THEIR STARTING UNIT, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. I HAD WRITTEN UP THE APU IN THE LOG. THIS WAS THE THIRD OR FOURTH WRITE-UP ON THE APU. WHEN THE GND CREW TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TRY A STARTING UNIT FROM ACR Z AIRLINES AND IT WOULD BE ANOTHER DELAY, WE TRIED THE APU AGAIN. THIS TIME IT STARTED. IF WE COULD HAVE LEFT THE APU RUNNING IN THE FIRST PLACE, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO BE ON TIME. I KNOW IF THE APU HAS ANTI-ICING FLUID SPRAYED DIRECTLY INTO THE AIR INTAKE, THE APU WILL HAVE PROBS. WELL, WE HAD PROBS JUST GETTING OFF THE GATE. IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO LEAVE THE APU RUNNING DURING DEICING, AND NOT SPRAY FLUID INTO THE INTAKE OF THE APU. GND CREW SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE APU INTAKE WITH ANY TYPE OF FLUID.
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.