Narrative:

We operated an A320 flight to ont. Upon our arrival at gate it became immediately apparent that the jetway was not operating properly. The jetway was able to move in all directions except forward. Several gate agents and a gate supervisor tried numerous times to move the jetway forward, but were unsuccessful. They then requested a jetway technician for assistance. During this time, I made the necessary PA announcements and made numerous attempts to contact ont operations, to see if it was possible to relocate the aircraft to next gate. It was my intention to move the aircraft in order to facilitate a more expedient off-loading of the passenger. Unfortunately, I was never able to contact the operations agent, as he was occupied on the ramp, off-loading bags. Approximately 10 mins after our arrival, the jetway technician arrived and began the necessary repairs to the broken jetway. During this time, with the jetway positioned approximately 10 ft away from the aircraft, I observed an ECAM message that we were being refueled. I immediately began several attempts to contact ont operations to stop the refueling process because all of the aircraft doors were still closed and the jetway was still positioned away from the aircraft. Once again, my attempts to contact ont operations were unsuccessful because the operations agent was still on the ramp. Having no other recourse, I opened my flight deck window and yelled to the gate agents that were still in the jetway, to tell the aircraft fueler to stop refueling the airplane. Additionally, I asked the gate agents to tell the operations agent to return to the operations office, so that we may contact him via the radio. After establishing radio contact with the operations agent and requesting that the refueling process be stopped, I was informed that the refueling process had already been completed. I explained to him that the refueling process should never have started because the aircraft doors had not been opened. Furthermore, I attempted to explain why operations personnel should remain in operations in a situation such as this, so that necessary communication can occur. His reply was that he was working with a skeleton crew and that he was required to assist in the various ramp functions in order to turn the aircraft. This, in my opinion, is unacceptable. I believe that the gravity of this event completely escaped him. His sole interest, as well as all personnel in ont, seemed to be to turn the aircraft as quickly as possible. In summary, I believe that this event could have been avoided, or at least minimized, if ont operations had been appropriately staffed and had maintained personnel in the operations office during our irregular operation. During such an occurrence as this, communication is paramount. Additionally, I believe that some education, or re-education, is required for our station personnel and contract vendors regarding refueling procedures with respect to door position and egress.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PIC TELLS OF ILLEGAL GND REFUELING PROC WHILE HIS ACFT IS AT THE GATE BUT UNABLE TO EXIT THE PAX BECAUSE OF AN INOPERABLE JETWAY AND NO STATION PERSONNEL TO TALK TO AT ONT.

Narrative: WE OPERATED AN A320 FLT TO ONT. UPON OUR ARR AT GATE IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THE JETWAY WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. THE JETWAY WAS ABLE TO MOVE IN ALL DIRECTIONS EXCEPT FORWARD. SEVERAL GATE AGENTS AND A GATE SUPVR TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO MOVE THE JETWAY FORWARD, BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THEY THEN REQUESTED A JETWAY TECHNICIAN FOR ASSISTANCE. DURING THIS TIME, I MADE THE NECESSARY PA ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ONT OPS, TO SEE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO RELOCATE THE ACFT TO NEXT GATE. IT WAS MY INTENTION TO MOVE THE ACFT IN ORDER TO FACILITATE A MORE EXPEDIENT OFF-LOADING OF THE PAX. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS NEVER ABLE TO CONTACT THE OPS AGENT, AS HE WAS OCCUPIED ON THE RAMP, OFF-LOADING BAGS. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER OUR ARR, THE JETWAY TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AND BEGAN THE NECESSARY REPAIRS TO THE BROKEN JETWAY. DURING THIS TIME, WITH THE JETWAY POSITIONED APPROX 10 FT AWAY FROM THE ACFT, I OBSERVED AN ECAM MESSAGE THAT WE WERE BEING REFUELED. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ONT OPS TO STOP THE REFUELING PROCESS BECAUSE ALL OF THE ACFT DOORS WERE STILL CLOSED AND THE JETWAY WAS STILL POSITIONED AWAY FROM THE ACFT. ONCE AGAIN, MY ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ONT OPS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE OPS AGENT WAS STILL ON THE RAMP. HAVING NO OTHER RECOURSE, I OPENED MY FLT DECK WINDOW AND YELLED TO THE GATE AGENTS THAT WERE STILL IN THE JETWAY, TO TELL THE ACFT FUELER TO STOP REFUELING THE AIRPLANE. ADDITIONALLY, I ASKED THE GATE AGENTS TO TELL THE OPS AGENT TO RETURN TO THE OPS OFFICE, SO THAT WE MAY CONTACT HIM VIA THE RADIO. AFTER ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH THE OPS AGENT AND REQUESTING THAT THE REFUELING PROCESS BE STOPPED, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE REFUELING PROCESS HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THE REFUELING PROCESS SHOULD NEVER HAVE STARTED BECAUSE THE ACFT DOORS HAD NOT BEEN OPENED. FURTHERMORE, I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN WHY OPS PERSONNEL SHOULD REMAIN IN OPS IN A SIT SUCH AS THIS, SO THAT NECESSARY COM CAN OCCUR. HIS REPLY WAS THAT HE WAS WORKING WITH A SKELETON CREW AND THAT HE WAS REQUIRED TO ASSIST IN THE VARIOUS RAMP FUNCTIONS IN ORDER TO TURN THE ACFT. THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS UNACCEPTABLE. I BELIEVE THAT THE GRAVITY OF THIS EVENT COMPLETELY ESCAPED HIM. HIS SOLE INTEREST, AS WELL AS ALL PERSONNEL IN ONT, SEEMED TO BE TO TURN THE ACFT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, OR AT LEAST MINIMIZED, IF ONT OPS HAD BEEN APPROPRIATELY STAFFED AND HAD MAINTAINED PERSONNEL IN THE OPS OFFICE DURING OUR IRREGULAR OP. DURING SUCH AN OCCURRENCE AS THIS, COM IS PARAMOUNT. ADDITIONALLY, I BELIEVE THAT SOME EDUCATION, OR RE-EDUCATION, IS REQUIRED FOR OUR STATION PERSONNEL AND CONTRACT VENDORS REGARDING REFUELING PROCS WITH RESPECT TO DOOR POS AND EGRESS.

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.