Narrative:

After arriving in hnl from kona, the captain and I were waiting out a thunderstorm in the aircraft before going inside the cargo office. We noticed that our aircraft was being fueled during a severe thunderstorm, with lightning all around us. I went outside and asked the fueler to stop refueling the aircraft, until the thunderstorm passed by. He said it was ok to continue fueling, because he could not hear any thunder. I insisted he wait until the thunderstorm passed by and he reluctantly stopped fueling. As soon as I went back inside the aircraft he began to refuel the aircraft until a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky followed by loud thunder. At this point he terminated the refuel. I called the maintenance office and asked if there is a limitation prohibiting refueling during a thunderstorm or when lightning is within a certain radius of the airfield. I was told there was no such limitation in our manuals. If this is true, we need to immediately address this issue, as this is an accident waiting to happen. Supplemental information from acn 641453: also, we watched a cargo crew trying to load an aircraft during this time. Anytime there are periods of rain that can enter the aircraft, the cargo is to remain closed. We called cargo supervisor and asked if they had any procedure about loading during a lightning storm, and again we were told there were none. As inclement WX is not usual for hawaii, it seems that the few delays that cargo takes to maintain safety for workers and safeguarding the aircraft from water damage during thunderstorms would be prudent. It seems these procedures should be properly documented so the workers can maintain the highest level of safety during these WX conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF REFUELING ACFT DURING TSTM ACTIVITY WITH LIGHTNING OBSERVED AT HNL.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING IN HNL FROM KONA, THE CAPT AND I WERE WAITING OUT A TSTM IN THE ACFT BEFORE GOING INSIDE THE CARGO OFFICE. WE NOTICED THAT OUR ACFT WAS BEING FUELED DURING A SEVERE TSTM, WITH LIGHTNING ALL AROUND US. I WENT OUTSIDE AND ASKED THE FUELER TO STOP REFUELING THE ACFT, UNTIL THE TSTM PASSED BY. HE SAID IT WAS OK TO CONTINUE FUELING, BECAUSE HE COULD NOT HEAR ANY THUNDER. I INSISTED HE WAIT UNTIL THE TSTM PASSED BY AND HE RELUCTANTLY STOPPED FUELING. AS SOON AS I WENT BACK INSIDE THE ACFT HE BEGAN TO REFUEL THE ACFT UNTIL A BOLT OF LIGHTNING ILLUMINATED THE SKY FOLLOWED BY LOUD THUNDER. AT THIS POINT HE TERMINATED THE REFUEL. I CALLED THE MAINT OFFICE AND ASKED IF THERE IS A LIMITATION PROHIBITING REFUELING DURING A TSTM OR WHEN LIGHTNING IS WITHIN A CERTAIN RADIUS OF THE AIRFIELD. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SUCH LIMITATION IN OUR MANUALS. IF THIS IS TRUE, WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AS THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 641453: ALSO, WE WATCHED A CARGO CREW TRYING TO LOAD AN ACFT DURING THIS TIME. ANYTIME THERE ARE PERIODS OF RAIN THAT CAN ENTER THE ACFT, THE CARGO IS TO REMAIN CLOSED. WE CALLED CARGO SUPVR AND ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY PROC ABOUT LOADING DURING A LIGHTNING STORM, AND AGAIN WE WERE TOLD THERE WERE NONE. AS INCLEMENT WX IS NOT USUAL FOR HAWAII, IT SEEMS THAT THE FEW DELAYS THAT CARGO TAKES TO MAINTAIN SAFETY FOR WORKERS AND SAFEGUARDING THE ACFT FROM WATER DAMAGE DURING TSTMS WOULD BE PRUDENT. IT SEEMS THESE PROCS SHOULD BE PROPERLY DOCUMENTED SO THE WORKERS CAN MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SAFETY DURING THESE WX CONDITIONS.

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.