An MD80 captain reported a recurring problem with fuelers at lga who began refueling an aircraft, mo...

Attributes
ACN	608760
Time
Date	200402
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
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	608760
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : lga.airport

Narrative:

This is the second time this has occurred in lga. This aircraft was parked at the gate and awaiting agent to position jetbridge at the gate who was having difficulty. Then I noticed the fuel quantity increased such that I knew the aircraft was being refueled with passenger on board with no doors opened and no jetbridge in position. The flight attendants had disarmed all doors at the arrival PA. No one was able to contact the fueler to stop this fueling. The fuel added was to bring the aircraft up to towing limit and it was terminating for the night. So, the urgency was not to turn the aircraft, but to apparently expedite the time spent getting off on friday night. The door was not opened for 7 mins. Please brief fuelers on requirements of part I, section 7, page 8, for doors and/or jetbridge in position or allow us to rearm all usable doors prior to commencing fueling. We don't need an incident like this which is easily avoidable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTED A RECURRING PROB WITH FUELERS AT LGA WHO BEGAN REFUELING AN ACFT, MORE THAN ONCE, BEFORE THE JETBRIDGE HAD BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND BEFORE THE DOORS WERE OPENED.

Narrative: THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED IN LGA. THIS ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE GATE AND AWAITING AGENT TO POS JETBRIDGE AT THE GATE WHO WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY. THEN I NOTICED THE FUEL QUANTITY INCREASED SUCH THAT I KNEW THE ACFT WAS BEING REFUELED WITH PAX ON BOARD WITH NO DOORS OPENED AND NO JETBRIDGE IN POS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD DISARMED ALL DOORS AT THE ARR PA. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE FUELER TO STOP THIS FUELING. THE FUEL ADDED WAS TO BRING THE ACFT UP TO TOWING LIMIT AND IT WAS TERMINATING FOR THE NIGHT. SO, THE URGENCY WAS NOT TO TURN THE ACFT, BUT TO APPARENTLY EXPEDITE THE TIME SPENT GETTING OFF ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE DOOR WAS NOT OPENED FOR 7 MINS. PLEASE BRIEF FUELERS ON REQUIREMENTS OF PART I, SECTION 7, PAGE 8, FOR DOORS AND/OR JETBRIDGE IN POS OR ALLOW US TO REARM ALL USABLE DOORS PRIOR TO COMMENCING FUELING. WE DON'T NEED AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS WHICH IS EASILY AVOIDABLE.

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 captain reported a recurring problem with fuelers at lga who began refueling an aircraft, more than once, before the jetbridge had been put in place and before the doors were opened.