An A320 flight crew claim that a company policy regarding the use of a gpu with the emergency lights...

Attributes
ACN	596280
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
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
ASRS Report	596280
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Station operations said no APU. After parking ramp plugged in gpu and slapped the aircraft side. We switched to gpu and shut down the engines. Finished parking checklist and got out of seat to greet passengers. Gpu disconnected and the aircraft went total dark. I switched on the emergency lights and first officer started APU. APU came online and ramp reestablished gpu and wanted us to switch back to gpu. Then gpu failed again! Brings up a point on the emergency exit lights. When they were initially required the FAA demanded the system be armed if there were any passengers onboard. Last night the passengers ended up in complete darkness due to cost savings attempts and an early disarming of the emergency exit light system (even though company SOP's were followed). Are we really following the FAA's original mandate on the emergency exit light system?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW CLAIM THAT A COMPANY POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF A GPU WITH THE EMER LIGHTS SELECTED OFF ALLOWED FOR THE ENTIRE ACFT TO BE DARK WITH PASSENGERS ON BOARD WHEN THE GPU FAILED.

Narrative: STATION OPS SAID NO APU. AFTER PARKING RAMP PLUGGED IN GPU AND SLAPPED THE ACFT SIDE. WE SWITCHED TO GPU AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. FINISHED PARKING CHKLIST AND GOT OUT OF SEAT TO GREET PASSENGERS. GPU DISCONNECTED AND THE ACFT WENT TOTAL DARK. I SWITCHED ON THE EMER LIGHTS AND FO STARTED APU. APU CAME ONLINE AND RAMP REESTABLISHED GPU AND WANTED US TO SWITCH BACK TO GPU. THEN GPU FAILED AGAIN! BRINGS UP A POINT ON THE EMER EXIT LIGHTS. WHEN THEY WERE INITIALLY REQUIRED THE FAA DEMANDED THE SYSTEM BE ARMED IF THERE WERE ANY PASSENGERS ONBOARD. LAST NIGHT THE PASSENGERS ENDED UP IN COMPLETE DARKNESS DUE TO COST SAVINGS ATTEMPTS AND AN EARLY DISARMING OF THE EMER EXIT LIGHT SYSTEM (EVEN THOUGH COMPANY SOP'S WERE FOLLOWED). ARE WE REALLY FOLLOWING THE FAA'S ORIGINAL MANDATE ON THE EMER EXIT LIGHT SYSTEM?

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 A320 flight crew claim that a company policy regarding the use of a gpu with the emergency lights selected off allowed for the entire aircraft to be dark with passengers on board when the gpu failed.