Narrative:

Upon arrival from flight planning; I noticed an ECAM 'F/control flaps 1 fault.' this happened to me a few months ago; and maintenance had me power the hydraulics and cycle the flap handle which cleared it. To expedite things; I called the oma station and asked them to send someone out to the ramp and clear the area; that I was going to power the hydraulics; and let me know with a thumbs up. I saw a ramp person; look to his left; and right and give me a thumbs up signal. At that point I looked down to the ECAM to see if the 'refueling' message was displayed. It was not; so I turned on the electric hydraulic pump; and lowered the flap handle to position #1; and back to up position. First officer came to the cockpit and informed me that the fueling panel door had been crushed. Obviously the door was open; and for some reason it was not showing up as a status message. I immediately notified the maintenance; dispatch and alpa. A contract mechanic was called out to inspect. He said that there was no damage to the flaps. Slats had a minor dent; that he could fix but he probably would not be able to remove the fueling panel door. As to why the 'refueling' message was not displayed; mechanic reset a couple of circuit breakers and the message appeared. Even the contract mechanic was surprised when it popped up. When I asked the station personnel to clear the area for hydraulic power up; they are supposed to make sure that there is no one; or equipment around the airplane; because a flight control surface; or even a cargo door will be pwred. It can cause injury; or damage to equipment; as it did in our case today. Luckily there was no injury.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW DURING PREFLT OBSERVES AN ECAM MESSAGE 'F/CTL FLAPS 1 FAULT.' CAPT REQUESTS RAMP PERSONNEL CLR THE ACFT AREA AND ACTIVATES THE HYD AND SELECTS FLAPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLR THE MESSAGE. ACFT DAMAGE WAS INCURRED.

Narrative: UPON ARR FROM FLT PLANNING; I NOTICED AN ECAM 'F/CTL FLAPS 1 FAULT.' THIS HAPPENED TO ME A FEW MONTHS AGO; AND MAINT HAD ME PWR THE HYDS AND CYCLE THE FLAP HANDLE WHICH CLRED IT. TO EXPEDITE THINGS; I CALLED THE OMA STATION AND ASKED THEM TO SEND SOMEONE OUT TO THE RAMP AND CLR THE AREA; THAT I WAS GOING TO PWR THE HYDS; AND LET ME KNOW WITH A THUMBS UP. I SAW A RAMP PERSON; LOOK TO HIS L; AND R AND GIVE ME A THUMBS UP SIGNAL. AT THAT POINT I LOOKED DOWN TO THE ECAM TO SEE IF THE 'REFUELING' MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. IT WAS NOT; SO I TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC HYD PUMP; AND LOWERED THE FLAP HANDLE TO POS #1; AND BACK TO UP POS. FO CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED ME THAT THE FUELING PANEL DOOR HAD BEEN CRUSHED. OBVIOUSLY THE DOOR WAS OPEN; AND FOR SOME REASON IT WAS NOT SHOWING UP AS A STATUS MESSAGE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE MAINT; DISPATCH AND ALPA. A CONTRACT MECH WAS CALLED OUT TO INSPECT. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FLAPS. SLATS HAD A MINOR DENT; THAT HE COULD FIX BUT HE PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE FUELING PANEL DOOR. AS TO WHY THE 'REFUELING' MESSAGE WAS NOT DISPLAYED; MECH RESET A COUPLE OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND THE MESSAGE APPEARED. EVEN THE CONTRACT MECH WAS SURPRISED WHEN IT POPPED UP. WHEN I ASKED THE STATION PERSONNEL TO CLR THE AREA FOR HYD PWR UP; THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO ONE; OR EQUIP AROUND THE AIRPLANE; BECAUSE A FLT CTL SURFACE; OR EVEN A CARGO DOOR WILL BE PWRED. IT CAN CAUSE INJURY; OR DAMAGE TO EQUIP; AS IT DID IN OUR CASE TODAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO INJURY.

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.