Narrative:

Our APU was MEL'd. We incurred a delay out of ZZZ due to a popped circuit breaker that maintenance had to be called out for. We had made up some of our time by the time we arrived. The ground crew plugged in the external power but the aircraft would not lock onto it. I noticed the ground crew take a small section of what appeared to be a broken swizzle stick and jam it into the switch receptacle of the gateway gpu switch to make it stay engaged. Only it wouldn't stay engaged so the aircraft relays were slamming on and off for several minutes while they tried various articles to jam into the switch to try to make it stay engaged. We called operations and requested a ground power cart but it never showed up so after all of the passenger had deplaned; we shut the number one engine off and secured the aircraft with no power on it. I explained to the supervisor that while we appreciated the ingenuity of the ground crew to 'git er done' we must report malfunctioning equipment and not use them until they have been checked out.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that what caught his attention was the aircraft relays slamming open and closed but with no power delivered. On checking with the ground ramp crew; the reporter observed two individuals trying to lock the on switch of the ground power by jamming a plastic swizzle stick in the button. The reporter contacted a supervisor and reported the incident and requested a serviceable ground power unit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 CAPT RPTS RAMP PERSONNEL ATTEMPTING TO LOCK JETWAY GND POWER UNIT SWITCH ON BY JAMMING A SWIZZLE STICK IN THE 'ON' SWITCH.

Narrative: OUR APU WAS MEL'D. WE INCURRED A DELAY OUT OF ZZZ DUE TO A POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT MAINT HAD TO BE CALLED OUT FOR. WE HAD MADE UP SOME OF OUR TIME BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED. THE GND CREW PLUGGED IN THE EXTERNAL POWER BUT THE ACFT WOULD NOT LOCK ONTO IT. I NOTICED THE GND CREW TAKE A SMALL SECTION OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BROKEN SWIZZLE STICK AND JAM IT INTO THE SWITCH RECEPTACLE OF THE GATEWAY GPU SWITCH TO MAKE IT STAY ENGAGED. ONLY IT WOULDN'T STAY ENGAGED SO THE ACFT RELAYS WERE SLAMMING ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WHILE THEY TRIED VARIOUS ARTICLES TO JAM INTO THE SWITCH TO TRY TO MAKE IT STAY ENGAGED. WE CALLED OPS AND REQUESTED A GND POWER CART BUT IT NEVER SHOWED UP SO AFTER ALL OF THE PAX HAD DEPLANED; WE SHUT THE NUMBER ONE ENG OFF AND SECURED THE ACFT WITH NO POWER ON IT. I EXPLAINED TO THE SUPVR THAT WHILE WE APPRECIATED THE INGENUITY OF THE GND CREW TO 'GIT ER DONE' WE MUST RPT MALFUNCTIONING EQUIP AND NOT USE THEM UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN CHKED OUT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHAT CAUGHT HIS ATTENTION WAS THE ACFT RELAYS SLAMMING OPEN AND CLOSED BUT WITH NO POWER DELIVERED. ON CHKING WITH THE GND RAMP CREW; THE RPTR OBSERVED TWO INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO LOCK THE ON SWITCH OF THE GND POWER BY JAMMING A PLASTIC SWIZZLE STICK IN THE BUTTON. THE RPTR CONTACTED A SUPVR AND RPTED THE INCIDENT AND REQUESTED A SERVICEABLE GND POWER UNIT.

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.