An A320 crew at phl notes that the air carrier uses different pre pushback procedures at other airpo...

Narrative:

With the cabin door closed; we were ready for push back when I first talked to the ramp over the interphone. The ramp said; and these were his exact words; 'we are ready for pushback.' this is not our normal phrasing so I asked him if he had completed a walkaround of the aircraft and if all the service doors were shut. The ramp crew seemed unaware that air carrier procedures required them to walkaround before pushback. He then informed me that the fuel door was still open and there was a cord hanging from another door. I replied; 'good; we need that information;' and I asked if he had done anything to correct the service door situation. He said he had not; so we called operations and had them send the fueler back out to close the fuel service door. Being unclear what he was talking about; with respect to the cord hanging out; I had the jetway brought back up to the aircraft so I could check out the situation myself. I walked down and found a nylon cord (which supports the hydraulic service panel door in the open position) hanging out the side of the door. I opened the door and placed it inside and closed the door. (My first officer swears the cord was stowed during his walkaround.) next; I checked that the fuel service panel was indeed closed and did a quick walkaround the aircraft to check all the other doors and panels. It was then that I found one of the latches on the aft water service panel door open as well; and so secured that latch. The local FAA inspector was on hand this morning observing our operation and also observed this entire situation. I spoke with him briefly and explained that our current procedures say the ramp lead will perform a walkaround prior to pushback to check that all service doors are closed and latched. The inspector asked about our fueling light on the flight deck. Here; I may have gotten the impression that he was inferring that we should have caught the fueling panel door before we closed the cabin door; which we could have and I will make this a part of my personal flow as I check the fuel slip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW AT PHL NOTES THAT THE ACR USES DIFFERENT PRE PUSHBACK PROCS AT OTHER ARPTS RAISING THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS COMMUNICATIONS OMISSIONS.

Narrative: WITH THE CABIN DOOR CLOSED; WE WERE READY FOR PUSH BACK WHEN I FIRST TALKED TO THE RAMP OVER THE INTERPHONE. THE RAMP SAID; AND THESE WERE HIS EXACT WORDS; 'WE ARE READY FOR PUSHBACK.' THIS IS NOT OUR NORMAL PHRASING SO I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD COMPLETED A WALKAROUND OF THE ACFT AND IF ALL THE SERVICE DOORS WERE SHUT. THE RAMP CREW SEEMED UNAWARE THAT ACR PROCS REQUIRED THEM TO WALKAROUND BEFORE PUSHBACK. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE FUEL DOOR WAS STILL OPEN AND THERE WAS A CORD HANGING FROM ANOTHER DOOR. I REPLIED; 'GOOD; WE NEED THAT INFO;' AND I ASKED IF HE HAD DONE ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE SERVICE DOOR SIT. HE SAID HE HAD NOT; SO WE CALLED OPS AND HAD THEM SEND THE FUELER BACK OUT TO CLOSE THE FUEL SERVICE DOOR. BEING UNCLEAR WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT; WITH RESPECT TO THE CORD HANGING OUT; I HAD THE JETWAY BROUGHT BACK UP TO THE ACFT SO I COULD CHK OUT THE SIT MYSELF. I WALKED DOWN AND FOUND A NYLON CORD (WHICH SUPPORTS THE HYDRAULIC SERVICE PANEL DOOR IN THE OPEN POSITION) HANGING OUT THE SIDE OF THE DOOR. I OPENED THE DOOR AND PLACED IT INSIDE AND CLOSED THE DOOR. (MY FO SWEARS THE CORD WAS STOWED DURING HIS WALKAROUND.) NEXT; I CHKED THAT THE FUEL SERVICE PANEL WAS INDEED CLOSED AND DID A QUICK WALKAROUND THE ACFT TO CHK ALL THE OTHER DOORS AND PANELS. IT WAS THEN THAT I FOUND ONE OF THE LATCHES ON THE AFT WATER SERVICE PANEL DOOR OPEN AS WELL; AND SO SECURED THAT LATCH. THE LOCAL FAA INSPECTOR WAS ON HAND THIS MORNING OBSERVING OUR OPERATION AND ALSO OBSERVED THIS ENTIRE SIT. I SPOKE WITH HIM BRIEFLY AND EXPLAINED THAT OUR CURRENT PROCS SAY THE RAMP LEAD WILL PERFORM A WALKAROUND PRIOR TO PUSHBACK TO CHK THAT ALL SERVICE DOORS ARE CLOSED AND LATCHED. THE INSPECTOR ASKED ABOUT OUR FUELING LIGHT ON THE FLT DECK. HERE; I MAY HAVE GOTTEN THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS INFERRING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE FUELING PANEL DOOR BEFORE WE CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR; WHICH WE COULD HAVE AND I WILL MAKE THIS A PART OF MY PERSONAL FLOW AS I CHK THE FUEL SLIP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Attributes
ACN	673334
Time
Date	200510
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	673334
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 6
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

An A320 crew at phl notes that the air carrier uses different pre pushback procedures at other airports raising the possibility of serious communications omissions.