B737-700 flight crew during pushback and engine start has the ramp personnel open the forward cargo ...

Narrative:

The flight was delayed a couple of hours due to the late arrival of the aircraft. The doors were closed; the 'before start' and 'cleared for start' checklists were complete. The anti-collision light was turned on. While pushing back; we were cleared by the tug driver to start #2 engine. Just after the start lever was raised to idle; the tug driver stopped the pushback; and keyed in something about opening the cargo door to load another bag. The first officer and I conferred about what he had said and I replied; 'I'm in the middle of starting engine #2. Do not open the cargo door.' there was no response. I tried to contact the tug operator again and there was no response. During the second attempt to contact him; the forward cargo door light illuminated. I immediately shut down engine #2 and set the parking brake. I tried to get a hold of him again to no avail. I asked the first officer to open his window and see if he could see anyone. He reported back that it looked like a ramp employee was closing the forward cargo door. The forward cargo light went out. The operator was nowhere to be seen. Moments later; the tug jostled back and forth as if someone got on it. I'm speculating at this point that the tug operator had gotten off the tug to help load the bag; but that is only conjecture. What is not conjecture is that we were not in communication. Moments after this; he answered my intercom call. I then had a discussion with him about what happened. Midway through this discussion; the ramp agent came on and I explained my concerns to her. Both ramp agents were very responsive and apologetic. Both agents said they understood my concerns and that it wouldn't happen again. The engines were restarted and the flight continued without incident. Upon further review during flight; I could find no guidance in the fom on the 2 questions I had: 1) is it permissible or safe to open the forward cargo door when the #2 engine is starting and/or started; and 2) is it permissible for a tug driver to either a) dismount the tug and or B) remove his head set during an engine start and/or pushback?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW DURING PUSHBACK AND ENG START HAS THE RAMP PERSONNEL OPEN THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WITHOUT COORD OR COMMUNICATING THE PROC TO THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS DELAYED A COUPLE OF HRS DUE TO THE LATE ARR OF THE ACFT. THE DOORS WERE CLOSED; THE 'BEFORE START' AND 'CLRED FOR START' CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE. THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT WAS TURNED ON. WHILE PUSHING BACK; WE WERE CLRED BY THE TUG DRIVER TO START #2 ENG. JUST AFTER THE START LEVER WAS RAISED TO IDLE; THE TUG DRIVER STOPPED THE PUSHBACK; AND KEYED IN SOMETHING ABOUT OPENING THE CARGO DOOR TO LOAD ANOTHER BAG. THE FO AND I CONFERRED ABOUT WHAT HE HAD SAID AND I REPLIED; 'I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF STARTING ENG #2. DO NOT OPEN THE CARGO DOOR.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TUG OPERATOR AGAIN AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO CONTACT HIM; THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN ENG #2 AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. I TRIED TO GET A HOLD OF HIM AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. I ASKED THE FO TO OPEN HIS WINDOW AND SEE IF HE COULD SEE ANYONE. HE RPTED BACK THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A RAMP EMPLOYEE WAS CLOSING THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. THE FORWARD CARGO LIGHT WENT OUT. THE OPERATOR WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. MOMENTS LATER; THE TUG JOSTLED BACK AND FORTH AS IF SOMEONE GOT ON IT. I'M SPECULATING AT THIS POINT THAT THE TUG OPERATOR HAD GOTTEN OFF THE TUG TO HELP LOAD THE BAG; BUT THAT IS ONLY CONJECTURE. WHAT IS NOT CONJECTURE IS THAT WE WERE NOT IN COM. MOMENTS AFTER THIS; HE ANSWERED MY INTERCOM CALL. I THEN HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HIM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. MIDWAY THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION; THE RAMP AGENT CAME ON AND I EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS TO HER. BOTH RAMP AGENTS WERE VERY RESPONSIVE AND APOLOGETIC. BOTH AGENTS SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD MY CONCERNS AND THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THE ENGS WERE RESTARTED AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON FURTHER REVIEW DURING FLT; I COULD FIND NO GUIDANCE IN THE FOM ON THE 2 QUESTIONS I HAD: 1) IS IT PERMISSIBLE OR SAFE TO OPEN THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WHEN THE #2 ENG IS STARTING AND/OR STARTED; AND 2) IS IT PERMISSIBLE FOR A TUG DRIVER TO EITHER A) DISMOUNT THE TUG AND OR B) REMOVE HIS HEAD SET DURING AN ENG START AND/OR PUSHBACK?

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	691872
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 7200
ASRS Report	691872
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

B737-700 flight crew during pushback and engine start has the ramp personnel open the forward cargo door without coordination or communicating the procedure to the cockpit.