Narrative:

After disconnecting the towbar and going to hand signals with both engines running, operations determined we needed to move baggage for center of gravity. The initial bag handlers came up and waited to approach the airplane till we got a hold of operations and found out what needed to be done and shut the #2 engine down. After we received the signal that all was complete and could restart the engine, another baggage vehicle came up and ran in to add another bag. The marshaller saw him and gave me the signal that all was not clear and hold my engine start. The first officer also saw the individual and told me it was safe to start the engine. While this turned out to be a non event, the potential for a serious incident was definitely there. If after being cleared to start the engine and if we had initiated the start, both of us could have been monitoring the start and not seen the individual run in or the marshallers signal not to start. When anyone is approaching the airplane after the ground crew is cleared off, they need to be sure that they have been seen by the flight crew. A good way to have handled this situation would be to have the ground crew come back on interphone till all activity was complete, and then be cleared off again. We had an FAA inspector on board and he indicated that he would be mentioning the situation in his report. He did not see a problem with the way we handled the situation, but he indicated that there was potential for a problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW NOTICE A RAMP WORKER APCHING THE ACFT WITH A BAG AFTER THEY HAD STARED THE ENG.

Narrative: AFTER DISCONNECTING THE TOWBAR AND GOING TO HAND SIGNALS WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING, OPS DETERMINED WE NEEDED TO MOVE BAGGAGE FOR CTR OF GRAVITY. THE INITIAL BAG HANDLERS CAME UP AND WAITED TO APCH THE AIRPLANE TILL WE GOT A HOLD OF OPS AND FOUND OUT WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AND SHUT THE #2 ENG DOWN. AFTER WE RECEIVED THE SIGNAL THAT ALL WAS COMPLETE AND COULD RESTART THE ENG, ANOTHER BAGGAGE VEHICLE CAME UP AND RAN IN TO ADD ANOTHER BAG. THE MARSHALLER SAW HIM AND GAVE ME THE SIGNAL THAT ALL WAS NOT CLR AND HOLD MY ENG START. THE FO ALSO SAW THE INDIVIDUAL AND TOLD ME IT WAS SAFE TO START THE ENG. WHILE THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A NON EVENT, THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS INCIDENT WAS DEFINITELY THERE. IF AFTER BEING CLRED TO START THE ENG AND IF WE HAD INITIATED THE START, BOTH OF US COULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE START AND NOT SEEN THE INDIVIDUAL RUN IN OR THE MARSHALLERS SIGNAL NOT TO START. WHEN ANYONE IS APCHING THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE GND CREW IS CLRED OFF, THEY NEED TO BE SURE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEN BY THE FLT CREW. A GOOD WAY TO HAVE HANDLED THIS SIT WOULD BE TO HAVE THE GND CREW COME BACK ON INTERPHONE TILL ALL ACTIVITY WAS COMPLETE, AND THEN BE CLRED OFF AGAIN. WE HAD AN FAA INSPECTOR ON BOARD AND HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD BE MENTIONING THE SIT IN HIS RPT. HE DID NOT SEE A PROB WITH THE WAY WE HANDLED THE SIT, BUT HE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR A PROB.

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.