 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
B757-200. Ground crew operating an external air starter did not know how to set up the starter. The starter would not allow sufficient airflow to start an aircraft engine.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 611230 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200403 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga.airport |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lgb.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : pushback ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 611230 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| ASRS Report | 611229 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
APU was on a placard. We had to start at the gate using external air and electrical power. Pressure was ok when we started the engine start sequence. The engine attained starting N2 RPM, but accelerated slower than normal. Had to abort the start due to starter engage time limit. Flight attendants called to report lots of smoke visible out the window and fumes in the cabin. A timely PA from the cockpit reduced the anxiety in the cabin. The fumes cleared quickly when the air conditioning packs were reinstated. I informed the ground man that we needed more pressure from the start unit. After several mins, he told me that it should be ok now. The same problem occurred with fumes in the cabin. I called for maintenance. They corrected a valve confign on the start cart. It worked fine after that. Seems like some training is needed in lga. My passenger almost deployed the slides and jumped out on the ramp because of operator error. I am also concerned that the ground man at no time told us about the excessive smoke during engine start.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B757-200. GND CREW OPERATING AN EXTERNAL AIR STARTER DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SET UP THE STARTER. THE STARTER WOULD NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT AIRFLOW TO START AN ACFT ENG.
Narrative: APU WAS ON A PLACARD. WE HAD TO START AT THE GATE USING EXTERNAL AIR AND ELECTRICAL PWR. PRESSURE WAS OK WHEN WE STARTED THE ENG START SEQUENCE. THE ENG ATTAINED STARTING N2 RPM, BUT ACCELERATED SLOWER THAN NORMAL. HAD TO ABORT THE START DUE TO STARTER ENGAGE TIME LIMIT. FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO RPT LOTS OF SMOKE VISIBLE OUT THE WINDOW AND FUMES IN THE CABIN. A TIMELY PA FROM THE COCKPIT REDUCED THE ANXIETY IN THE CABIN. THE FUMES CLRED QUICKLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS WERE REINSTATED. I INFORMED THE GND MAN THAT WE NEEDED MORE PRESSURE FROM THE START UNIT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, HE TOLD ME THAT IT SHOULD BE OK NOW. THE SAME PROB OCCURRED WITH FUMES IN THE CABIN. I CALLED FOR MAINT. THEY CORRECTED A VALVE CONFIGN ON THE START CART. IT WORKED FINE AFTER THAT. SEEMS LIKE SOME TRAINING IS NEEDED IN LGA. MY PAX ALMOST DEPLOYED THE SLIDES AND JUMPED OUT ON THE RAMP BECAUSE OF OPERATOR ERROR. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE GND MAN AT NO TIME TOLD US ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE SMOKE DURING ENG START.
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.