Narrative:

During preflight aircraft inspection on walk-around, I observed the 'fuel vendor' person refueling the aircraft reach into his pocket to use his cellular telephone. He removed his glove to use the phone, while balancing on a ladder and holding the trigger shutoff control in his other hand. While pumping fuel into the aircraft while the passenger were boarding, he held the phone approximately 18 inches away from the nozzle receptacle on the aircraft. I completed my walk-around inspection and returned to the operations office to discuss the situation with the agent and requested that she contact the fueling company supervisor to discuss the hazardous situation. The agent explained the situation, and the supervisor then called the fueler on the cell phone. I left the office and returned to the aircraft flight deck. The fueler and his supervisor both came to the cockpit and apologized for using the cell phone saying they didn't have any other way to communicate. I tried to express the hazardous situation of static or electrical discharge possibilities while working around flammable substances, especially pressurized fuels, but they were totally unaware of the condition they were creating. I passed the hazard to my dispatcher via cockpit telephone after takeoff, requesting it get relayed to safety and the station manager.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRLINE FO NOTICES A FUELER TALKING ON A CELL PHONE WHILE FUELING AND HAS CONCERN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FIRE DANGER.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT ACFT INSPECTION ON WALK-AROUND, I OBSERVED THE 'FUEL VENDOR' PERSON REFUELING THE ACFT REACH INTO HIS POCKET TO USE HIS CELLULAR TELEPHONE. HE REMOVED HIS GLOVE TO USE THE PHONE, WHILE BALANCING ON A LADDER AND HOLDING THE TRIGGER SHUTOFF CTL IN HIS OTHER HAND. WHILE PUMPING FUEL INTO THE ACFT WHILE THE PAX WERE BOARDING, HE HELD THE PHONE APPROX 18 INCHES AWAY FROM THE NOZZLE RECEPTACLE ON THE ACFT. I COMPLETED MY WALK-AROUND INSPECTION AND RETURNED TO THE OPS OFFICE TO DISCUSS THE SIT WITH THE AGENT AND REQUESTED THAT SHE CONTACT THE FUELING COMPANY SUPERVISOR TO DISCUSS THE HAZARDOUS SIT. THE AGENT EXPLAINED THE SIT, AND THE SUPERVISOR THEN CALLED THE FUELER ON THE CELL PHONE. I LEFT THE OFFICE AND RETURNED TO THE ACFT FLT DECK. THE FUELER AND HIS SUPERVISOR BOTH CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND APOLOGIZED FOR USING THE CELL PHONE SAYING THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY TO COMMUNICATE. I TRIED TO EXPRESS THE HAZARDOUS SIT OF STATIC OR ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE POSSIBILITIES WHILE WORKING AROUND FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES, ESPECIALLY PRESSURIZED FUELS, BUT THEY WERE TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE CONDITION THEY WERE CREATING. I PASSED THE HAZARD TO MY DISPATCHER VIA COCKPIT TELEPHONE AFTER TKOF, REQUESTING IT GET RELAYED TO SAFETY AND THE STATION MANAGER.

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.