Narrative:

We pulled in to gate in lax. It was XA05. The gate agent was having tremendous difficulty in moving the jetway to our aircraft. We completed the shutdown checklist and since the agent was having so much difficulty in moving the jetway; I told the captain I would turn on the beacon to alert a fueler if one came to the plane; hopefully averting anyone from fueling the airplane. As we sat there for 16 mins or so at the gate; I looked outside twice to verify no fueler was around; there were not any rampers whom I could find; they were at the jetway; which will be explained later. I looked outside at probably XA11 and XA16. Well; finally the jetway got to the airplane and the door was opened and when I looked at the fuel gauge to send the acar's it had increased by approximately 4000 pounds; from 10.8 to 14.1. The beacon was still on; I know it was working; until the door was opened when I turned it off. It was my belief no one is supposed to fuel with the beacon on. I was wrong. The captain talked to the fueler about fueling with the beacon on; and the fueler indicated to him he had no idea about not fueling with the beacon on nor with the doors closed. There seems to be a miscom about when to fuel and not fuel an airplane. This has happened in the past to different crews and it is still happening which is a safety issue. Having said this; the reason the agent was having so much difficulty in driving the jetway was because apparently the ramper did not clear the cord out of the way while plugging in external power; thus the cord got wrapped in the jetway wheels. And I could not get any rampers' attention if I needed it; because they were preoccupied with the jetway. Make and standardize procedures to indicate when it is safe to fuel an airplane. Make and standardize rampers how to correctly use the external power. Maybe in hindsight; might be necessary to constantly look outside to verify no fueler approachs the airplane and try to get the attention by some method to not fuel the plane or call operations to tell the to call the fueling company to call the fuel to not fuel the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ARRIVING AT AN IMMOBILE JETWAY KEPT THE ACFT DOORS CLOSED AND PAX ONBOARD. THE FUELER DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE BEACON 'ON' SIGNAL AND FUELED THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE PULLED IN TO GATE IN LAX. IT WAS XA05. THE GATE AGENT WAS HAVING TREMENDOUS DIFFICULTY IN MOVING THE JETWAY TO OUR ACFT. WE COMPLETED THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST AND SINCE THE AGENT WAS HAVING SO MUCH DIFFICULTY IN MOVING THE JETWAY; I TOLD THE CAPT I WOULD TURN ON THE BEACON TO ALERT A FUELER IF ONE CAME TO THE PLANE; HOPEFULLY AVERTING ANYONE FROM FUELING THE AIRPLANE. AS WE SAT THERE FOR 16 MINS OR SO AT THE GATE; I LOOKED OUTSIDE TWICE TO VERIFY NO FUELER WAS AROUND; THERE WERE NOT ANY RAMPERS WHOM I COULD FIND; THEY WERE AT THE JETWAY; WHICH WILL BE EXPLAINED LATER. I LOOKED OUTSIDE AT PROBABLY XA11 AND XA16. WELL; FINALLY THE JETWAY GOT TO THE AIRPLANE AND THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FUEL GAUGE TO SEND THE ACAR'S IT HAD INCREASED BY APPROX 4000 LBS; FROM 10.8 TO 14.1. THE BEACON WAS STILL ON; I KNOW IT WAS WORKING; UNTIL THE DOOR WAS OPENED WHEN I TURNED IT OFF. IT WAS MY BELIEF NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO FUEL WITH THE BEACON ON. I WAS WRONG. THE CAPT TALKED TO THE FUELER ABOUT FUELING WITH THE BEACON ON; AND THE FUELER INDICATED TO HIM HE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT NOT FUELING WITH THE BEACON ON NOR WITH THE DOORS CLOSED. THERE SEEMS TO BE A MISCOM ABOUT WHEN TO FUEL AND NOT FUEL AN AIRPLANE. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST TO DIFFERENT CREWS AND IT IS STILL HAPPENING WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HAVING SAID THIS; THE REASON THE AGENT WAS HAVING SO MUCH DIFFICULTY IN DRIVING THE JETWAY WAS BECAUSE APPARENTLY THE RAMPER DID NOT CLR THE CORD OUT OF THE WAY WHILE PLUGGING IN EXTERNAL PWR; THUS THE CORD GOT WRAPPED IN THE JETWAY WHEELS. AND I COULD NOT GET ANY RAMPERS' ATTN IF I NEEDED IT; BECAUSE THEY WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE JETWAY. MAKE AND STANDARDIZE PROCS TO INDICATE WHEN IT IS SAFE TO FUEL AN AIRPLANE. MAKE AND STANDARDIZE RAMPERS HOW TO CORRECTLY USE THE EXTERNAL PWR. MAYBE IN HINDSIGHT; MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO CONSTANTLY LOOK OUTSIDE TO VERIFY NO FUELER APCHS THE AIRPLANE AND TRY TO GET THE ATTENTION BY SOME METHOD TO NOT FUEL THE PLANE OR CALL OPS TO TELL THE TO CALL THE FUELING COMPANY TO CALL THE FUEL TO NOT FUEL THE ACFT.

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.