Narrative:

After completing a successful flight; we had encountered an ongoing issue. We had just cleared runway 10L and were to park at gate X. The taxi is very short from the turn off to the gate. I had started my 2 min cool-down timer as we exited the runway and by the time I had reached our gate; we still had about 45 seconds remaining. I had contemplated about whether to hold at the top of the tee for my remaining time or to pull into my parking position and then signal to the ground crew that both engines; and specifically #1; was still running. I had decided to pull in to the gate and informed the marshaller that 'number' was still running. I did so by giving him the #1 signal accompanied by the engine starting signal. He looked confused and then look at the #1 engine and realized what I was communicating to him. I then communicated to another ramp agent the same exact signal. Unfortunately; the baggage door was then opened and I still had time remaining on the cool down procedure. I looked that the second ramp agent that I had communicated to and repeated the signal. He looked confused. About 5 - 10 seconds later; my time was up and I had completed my engine shutdown procedure. Once the checklist was completed; I proceeded down the stairs and talked to the first marshaller. He informed me that he had understood my directions but all he could say was the ramp agents were 'antsy.' I felt that the ground crews do not take notice to whether or not the beacon is still on as well as to fact that there is an engine still running above their heads creating a safety hazard. After conferring with our director of flight standards; he informed me that this is an incorrect procedure that can be found in the customer service manual of all our code shares. In the future to prevent this from happening; I will not take the word nor signal that the ground crew knows and understands the severity of the number 1 engine still running and that I can't shut it down until my cool down limitation per the poh. Instead; I will stay perched at the top of the tee and await my necessary cool down period; shut down number 1; and proceed to my final parking position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW HAS CONCERNS REGARDING ENG COOL DOWN AND TAXI PROCS TO THE PARKING GATE.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING A SUCCESSFUL FLT; WE HAD ENCOUNTERED AN ONGOING ISSUE. WE HAD JUST CLRED RWY 10L AND WERE TO PARK AT GATE X. THE TAXI IS VERY SHORT FROM THE TURN OFF TO THE GATE. I HAD STARTED MY 2 MIN COOL-DOWN TIMER AS WE EXITED THE RWY AND BY THE TIME I HAD REACHED OUR GATE; WE STILL HAD ABOUT 45 SECONDS REMAINING. I HAD CONTEMPLATED ABOUT WHETHER TO HOLD AT THE TOP OF THE TEE FOR MY REMAINING TIME OR TO PULL INTO MY PARKING POS AND THEN SIGNAL TO THE GND CREW THAT BOTH ENGS; AND SPECIFICALLY #1; WAS STILL RUNNING. I HAD DECIDED TO PULL IN TO THE GATE AND INFORMED THE MARSHALLER THAT 'NUMBER' WAS STILL RUNNING. I DID SO BY GIVING HIM THE #1 SIGNAL ACCOMPANIED BY THE ENG STARTING SIGNAL. HE LOOKED CONFUSED AND THEN LOOK AT THE #1 ENG AND REALIZED WHAT I WAS COMMUNICATING TO HIM. I THEN COMMUNICATED TO ANOTHER RAMP AGENT THE SAME EXACT SIGNAL. UNFORTUNATELY; THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS THEN OPENED AND I STILL HAD TIME REMAINING ON THE COOL DOWN PROC. I LOOKED THAT THE SECOND RAMP AGENT THAT I HAD COMMUNICATED TO AND REPEATED THE SIGNAL. HE LOOKED CONFUSED. ABOUT 5 - 10 SECONDS LATER; MY TIME WAS UP AND I HAD COMPLETED MY ENG SHUTDOWN PROC. ONCE THE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED; I PROCEEDED DOWN THE STAIRS AND TALKED TO THE FIRST MARSHALLER. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD UNDERSTOOD MY DIRECTIONS BUT ALL HE COULD SAY WAS THE RAMP AGENTS WERE 'ANTSY.' I FELT THAT THE GND CREWS DO NOT TAKE NOTICE TO WHETHER OR NOT THE BEACON IS STILL ON AS WELL AS TO FACT THAT THERE IS AN ENG STILL RUNNING ABOVE THEIR HEADS CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. AFTER CONFERRING WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF FLT STANDARDS; HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS AN INCORRECT PROC THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE CUSTOMER SVC MANUAL OF ALL OUR CODE SHARES. IN THE FUTURE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING; I WILL NOT TAKE THE WORD NOR SIGNAL THAT THE GND CREW KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS THE SEVERITY OF THE NUMBER 1 ENG STILL RUNNING AND THAT I CAN'T SHUT IT DOWN UNTIL MY COOL DOWN LIMITATION PER THE POH. INSTEAD; I WILL STAY PERCHED AT THE TOP OF THE TEE AND AWAIT MY NECESSARY COOL DOWN PERIOD; SHUT DOWN NUMBER 1; AND PROCEED TO MY FINAL PARKING POSITION.

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.