An MD80, while parked at gate, incurred extensive fuselage skin damage from a failed ground air cond...

Attributes
ACN	595740
Time
Date	200310
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	595740
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

After finishing all checklists and locking the cockpit door, the first officer and I proceeded out the jetbridge to call it a night. Glancing off to my left, I noticed a group of people standing in front of the left wing root area. I went down the stairs toward the group of ground personnel to find that the preconditioned air ground hose had pierced the aircraft skin, and was lodged into the side of the aircraft. It appears that a hole was present in the hose right by the 2 metal connectors, which attach the 2 hoses together. Once the air pressure was turned on, the hose became airborne and lodged itself into the side skin of the aircraft about 3 or 4 ft off the ground. I was unaware that these hoses could present such a safety risk. If this had happened during a preflight walkaround or during a postflt inspection, the consequences could have been fatal. I hope that inspection for wear on preconditioned air hoses is forthcoming so that a possible future injury may be avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80, WHILE PARKED AT GATE, INCURRED EXTENSIVE FUSELAGE SKIN DAMAGE FROM A FAILED GND AIR CONDITIONING HOSE. CONNECTORS FAILED WITH HOSE PRESSURIZED.

Narrative: AFTER FINISHING ALL CHKLISTS AND LOCKING THE COCKPIT DOOR, THE FO AND I PROCEEDED OUT THE JETBRIDGE TO CALL IT A NIGHT. GLANCING OFF TO MY L, I NOTICED A GROUP OF PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE L WING ROOT AREA. I WENT DOWN THE STAIRS TOWARD THE GROUP OF GND PERSONNEL TO FIND THAT THE PRECONDITIONED AIR GND HOSE HAD PIERCED THE ACFT SKIN, AND WAS LODGED INTO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT. IT APPEARS THAT A HOLE WAS PRESENT IN THE HOSE RIGHT BY THE 2 METAL CONNECTORS, WHICH ATTACH THE 2 HOSES TOGETHER. ONCE THE AIR PRESSURE WAS TURNED ON, THE HOSE BECAME AIRBORNE AND LODGED ITSELF INTO THE SIDE SKIN OF THE ACFT ABOUT 3 OR 4 FT OFF THE GND. I WAS UNAWARE THAT THESE HOSES COULD PRESENT SUCH A SAFETY RISK. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED DURING A PREFLT WALKAROUND OR DURING A POSTFLT INSPECTION, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. I HOPE THAT INSPECTION FOR WEAR ON PRECONDITIONED AIR HOSES IS FORTHCOMING SO THAT A POSSIBLE FUTURE INJURY MAY BE AVOIDED.

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.

An MD80, while parked at gate, incurred extensive fuselage skin damage from a failed ground air conditioning hose. Connectors failed with hose pressurized.