Narrative:

Upon arrival we were advised that it would be a minimum of 1 hour before a parking spot would be available. At this time the captain requested a spot to park the aircraft and then proceeded to shut down all engines whilst we waited for our final parking spot. This turned out to be spot Y adjacent to the active runway. After approximately 1 hour under APU power on spot Y we received clearance to start the engines and taxi to spot X. Whilst attempting to start the first engine the APU automatic shut down and we lost all aircraft power. I then contacted our ground staff and requested an asu (pneumatic starter truck) and also a gpu (ground power unit) to enable us to continue operations to move to spot X. Due to unpaid invoices to the local vendor air carrier, who advised us that they would only accept cash before any services could be rendered which we did not have, we now had to rely on the only other resource available which was the united states military ground handlers stationed. Military operations together with myself placed the units into position for the airstart and then I proceeded to the front of the aircraft to give hand signals to the crew to start #2 engine. This procedure took an excessively long time as we only had 1 asu available to us to start the aircraft and the engine took longer than usual to spool up. After #2 engine was started we disconnected the asu and gpu and I proceeded to board the aircraft through the lower access door. During the process of disconnecting the asu I did not notice any damage to the aircraft, as it was about XA00 am and also the condition of the prevailing sandstorm was making it very difficult to operate. We then taxied to our scheduled stand for the deplaning of the military. Upon arriving on our scheduled stand we attempted to apply ground power, but the aircraft would not accept any power. We were now left with #2 engine running for aircraft power and all passenger still onboard. We made another attempt to start the APU and had another shutdown due to low oil pressure. After this attempt to start the APU failed I started to troubleshoot the aircraft's electrical system. We also attempted to use 3 other gpu's to supply electrical power. After approximately 1 hour it was decided it was best to shut down #2 engine and deboard the passenger. I continued to troubleshoot the power problem and found that it was to be the frequency on the gpu's. Although we adjusted the frequency on the gpu's we could only power the ground handling bus, the aircraft would not accept actual power, this now enabled us to open the cargo doors. I then proceeded to find a stand in which I could reach the APU, which took a significant amount of time. After doing a visual inspection of the APU area and the oil pressure switch I svced the APU with 4 quarts of oil. I made 2 more attempts to start the APU but both ended up in automatic shutdowns -- I would like to remind you that at this time with no APU and only the ground handling bus available we had no satcom available. Upon preparing for departure and positioning the 2 asu's we encountered another electrical problem. We needed one of the primary buses pwred to start an engine. After getting the secondary bus pwred we were able to proceed with the engine start. I then positioned myself in front of the aircraft to give hand signals to start #2 engine. At this point the military personnel alerted me that there was some evidence of heat damage in the exhaust area of the asu. The captain and myself did a visual inspection of the area and considered it to be safe enough for flight. At this point we proceeded with our departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 INCURRED R WING LEADING EDGE COMPOSITE HEAT DAMAGE FROM PNEUMATIC AIR STARTER TRUCKS POSITIONED UNDER THE R WING LEADING EDGE.

Narrative: UPON ARR WE WERE ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 1 HR BEFORE A PARKING SPOT WOULD BE AVAILABLE. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT REQUESTED A SPOT TO PARK THE ACFT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN ALL ENGS WHILST WE WAITED FOR OUR FINAL PARKING SPOT. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE SPOT Y ADJACENT TO THE ACTIVE RWY. AFTER APPROX 1 HR UNDER APU PWR ON SPOT Y WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO START THE ENGS AND TAXI TO SPOT X. WHILST ATTEMPTING TO START THE FIRST ENG THE APU AUTO SHUT DOWN AND WE LOST ALL ACFT PWR. I THEN CONTACTED OUR GND STAFF AND REQUESTED AN ASU (PNEUMATIC STARTER TRUCK) AND ALSO A GPU (GND PWR UNIT) TO ENABLE US TO CONTINUE OPS TO MOVE TO SPOT X. DUE TO UNPAID INVOICES TO THE LCL VENDOR ACR, WHO ADVISED US THAT THEY WOULD ONLY ACCEPT CASH BEFORE ANY SVCS COULD BE RENDERED WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE, WE NOW HAD TO RELY ON THE ONLY OTHER RESOURCE AVAILABLE WHICH WAS THE UNITED STATES MIL GND HANDLERS STATIONED. MIL OPS TOGETHER WITH MYSELF PLACED THE UNITS INTO POS FOR THE AIRSTART AND THEN I PROCEEDED TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT TO GIVE HAND SIGNALS TO THE CREW TO START #2 ENG. THIS PROC TOOK AN EXCESSIVELY LONG TIME AS WE ONLY HAD 1 ASU AVAILABLE TO US TO START THE ACFT AND THE ENG TOOK LONGER THAN USUAL TO SPOOL UP. AFTER #2 ENG WAS STARTED WE DISCONNECTED THE ASU AND GPU AND I PROCEEDED TO BOARD THE ACFT THROUGH THE LOWER ACCESS DOOR. DURING THE PROCESS OF DISCONNECTING THE ASU I DID NOT NOTICE ANY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, AS IT WAS ABOUT XA00 AM AND ALSO THE CONDITION OF THE PREVAILING SANDSTORM WAS MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE. WE THEN TAXIED TO OUR SCHEDULED STAND FOR THE DEPLANING OF THE MIL. UPON ARRIVING ON OUR SCHEDULED STAND WE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY GND PWR, BUT THE ACFT WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY PWR. WE WERE NOW LEFT WITH #2 ENG RUNNING FOR ACFT PWR AND ALL PAX STILL ONBOARD. WE MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO START THE APU AND HAD ANOTHER SHUTDOWN DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE. AFTER THIS ATTEMPT TO START THE APU FAILED I STARTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ACFT'S ELECTRICAL SYS. WE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO USE 3 OTHER GPU'S TO SUPPLY ELECTRICAL PWR. AFTER APPROX 1 HR IT WAS DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO SHUT DOWN #2 ENG AND DEBOARD THE PAX. I CONTINUED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PWR PROB AND FOUND THAT IT WAS TO BE THE FREQ ON THE GPU'S. ALTHOUGH WE ADJUSTED THE FREQ ON THE GPU'S WE COULD ONLY PWR THE GND HANDLING BUS, THE ACFT WOULD NOT ACCEPT ACTUAL PWR, THIS NOW ENABLED US TO OPEN THE CARGO DOORS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO FIND A STAND IN WHICH I COULD REACH THE APU, WHICH TOOK A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME. AFTER DOING A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE APU AREA AND THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH I SVCED THE APU WITH 4 QUARTS OF OIL. I MADE 2 MORE ATTEMPTS TO START THE APU BUT BOTH ENDED UP IN AUTO SHUTDOWNS -- I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT AT THIS TIME WITH NO APU AND ONLY THE GND HANDLING BUS AVAILABLE WE HAD NO SATCOM AVAILABLE. UPON PREPARING FOR DEP AND POSITIONING THE 2 ASU'S WE ENCOUNTERED ANOTHER ELECTRICAL PROB. WE NEEDED ONE OF THE PRIMARY BUSES PWRED TO START AN ENG. AFTER GETTING THE SECONDARY BUS PWRED WE WERE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THE ENG START. I THEN POSITIONED MYSELF IN FRONT OF THE ACFT TO GIVE HAND SIGNALS TO START #2 ENG. AT THIS POINT THE MIL PERSONNEL ALERTED ME THAT THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE OF HEAT DAMAGE IN THE EXHAUST AREA OF THE ASU. THE CAPT AND MYSELF DID A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AREA AND CONSIDERED IT TO BE SAFE ENOUGH FOR FLT. AT THIS POINT WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR DEP.

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.