Narrative:

Upon completion of pushback prior to taxi out; the tug driver had taken off his headset and the towbar was disconnected. The ground crew was getting ready to take the tug back to the gate. Prior to the tug leaving the front of the aircraft; a vehicle passed behind the tug and noticed something at the back of the aircraft. He then began to talk to the ground personnel working my aircraft during the pushback. One of the rampers went to the rear of the aircraft for a min or two. He then went to the tug driver and the tug driver plugged in his headset and told me that the air cart start panel had been left open and they had fixed the problem and secured the door in the closed position. We then taxied out for a departure from runway 4. While in line and about #5 or so for departure; I looked out of my right side window and noticed the driver of a maintenance pick-up truck on the service road trying to get my attention. He was indicating to me that a panel was open on the front of the aircraft by using hand signals. The truck was outside of a fence but could see my aircraft in line. At this point we contacted ground and told them we had someone indicating to us that a panel was open. We then asked if they could contact someone and see if they could come out and check this panel for any damage and possibly secure it closed. Ground contacted the port authority/authorized and someone came out very quickly. The gentleman approached the nose of the aircraft; secured the panel; and gave me a thumbs up. I asked him through my window what panel was open; and he stated the small round one with an electrical plug located in it; and got back into his truck. He then radioed ground and they relayed to me that the man had told them the panel was intact and he had secured it with the latch and we were good to go. At this point; we departed and flew to ric. When we got on the ground in ric; I inspected both the aircraft panel and gpu panel for any reason they may have come open; such as a weak latch; etc. They both were in normal operating condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF; IS OBSERVED HAVING AN EXTERIOR ACCESS PANEL OPEN ON THE ACFT. RAMP PERSONNEL ARRIVE AND CLOSE THE PANEL.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETION OF PUSHBACK PRIOR TO TAXI OUT; THE TUG DRIVER HAD TAKEN OFF HIS HEADSET AND THE TOWBAR WAS DISCONNECTED. THE GND CREW WAS GETTING READY TO TAKE THE TUG BACK TO THE GATE. PRIOR TO THE TUG LEAVING THE FRONT OF THE ACFT; A VEHICLE PASSED BEHIND THE TUG AND NOTICED SOMETHING AT THE BACK OF THE ACFT. HE THEN BEGAN TO TALK TO THE GND PERSONNEL WORKING MY ACFT DURING THE PUSHBACK. ONE OF THE RAMPERS WENT TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT FOR A MIN OR TWO. HE THEN WENT TO THE TUG DRIVER AND THE TUG DRIVER PLUGGED IN HIS HEADSET AND TOLD ME THAT THE AIR CART START PANEL HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN AND THEY HAD FIXED THE PROB AND SECURED THE DOOR IN THE CLOSED POS. WE THEN TAXIED OUT FOR A DEP FROM RWY 4. WHILE IN LINE AND ABOUT #5 OR SO FOR DEP; I LOOKED OUT OF MY R SIDE WINDOW AND NOTICED THE DRIVER OF A MAINT PICK-UP TRUCK ON THE SVC ROAD TRYING TO GET MY ATTN. HE WAS INDICATING TO ME THAT A PANEL WAS OPEN ON THE FRONT OF THE ACFT BY USING HAND SIGNALS. THE TRUCK WAS OUTSIDE OF A FENCE BUT COULD SEE MY ACFT IN LINE. AT THIS POINT WE CONTACTED GND AND TOLD THEM WE HAD SOMEONE INDICATING TO US THAT A PANEL WAS OPEN. WE THEN ASKED IF THEY COULD CONTACT SOMEONE AND SEE IF THEY COULD COME OUT AND CHK THIS PANEL FOR ANY DAMAGE AND POSSIBLY SECURE IT CLOSED. GND CONTACTED THE PORT AUTH AND SOMEONE CAME OUT VERY QUICKLY. THE GENTLEMAN APCHED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT; SECURED THE PANEL; AND GAVE ME A THUMBS UP. I ASKED HIM THROUGH MY WINDOW WHAT PANEL WAS OPEN; AND HE STATED THE SMALL ROUND ONE WITH AN ELECTRICAL PLUG LOCATED IN IT; AND GOT BACK INTO HIS TRUCK. HE THEN RADIOED GND AND THEY RELAYED TO ME THAT THE MAN HAD TOLD THEM THE PANEL WAS INTACT AND HE HAD SECURED IT WITH THE LATCH AND WE WERE GOOD TO GO. AT THIS POINT; WE DEPARTED AND FLEW TO RIC. WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND IN RIC; I INSPECTED BOTH THE ACFT PANEL AND GPU PANEL FOR ANY REASON THEY MAY HAVE COME OPEN; SUCH AS A WEAK LATCH; ETC. THEY BOTH WERE IN NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION.

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.