Narrative:

On my last 3 sequences in the month of jun/07; not once was the protected area clear of all equipment. On every single arrival (17 times) there was an aircraft tow bar located in the protected area. I have communicated these infractions to a chief pilot; and I was told if there is an incident he would go to bat for the pilots at the hearing. The question is: will the FAA be as supportive and understanding as the chief pilot if we are involved in an incident (ie; if we hit the tow bar and injure a fellow employee or damage an airplane or support equipment)?' I don't think so! I can say with confidence that every pilot at air carrier X has been in violation of this policy at one time or another. Union safety has received complaints that some stations (I would say every station) are not ensuring equipment is safely positioned outside aircraft safety clearance lines. In particular; air hoses and electrical power cords are being pre-positioned for quick hook-up (there is no mention of aircraft tow bar; but it occurred 100% on my last 3 sequences). Although station personnel may be attempting to streamline their duties; this is clearly in violation of the flight manual. The flight manual delineates responsibilities and requirements: 'only designated equipment within a painted box and listed on the field report may be within the aircraft safety clearance lines. Nosewheel chocks are another exception.' have we had a case (incident) where an aircraft impacted the tow bars? If not; I'd recommend the following: recommendation: 1) add language to the manual with a list of equipment that is authority/authorized in the protected area and include on that list the aircraft tow bar. This is the simplest and an immediate fix. 2) continue to attempt to train our ramp personnel on the importance of ensuring that unauthorized equipment is removed and remains clear of the protected area. So what is the company going to do about this? Continue to turn a blind eye to this issue until one of our capts impacts a tow bar then let the FAA hang them out to dry? Or; are we going to continue to attempt to train our ramp personnel on the importance of ensuring that unauthorized equipment is removed and remains clear of the protected area? The latter approach is the right thing to do; however; it will be a long drawn out and painful process. And if every captain stops and waits for the ground crew to remove the aircraft tow bar; we will have countless arrival delays and countless agitated ramp personnel. I have waited til ramp personnel moved the tow bar and some rampers have walked off the job in protest of moving the tow bar and let our customers miss their connections. The most cost effective fix to this problem; provided there have been no documented cases of tow bar incidents; is additional language to the manual clarifying this matter. Bottom line: we should take both recommendations for action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT COMMENTS ON RAMP PERSONNEL'S DISREGARD OF SAFETY PRACTICES FOR KEEPING ACFT PROTECTED PARKING AREAS CLEAR OF GND EQUIP.

Narrative: ON MY LAST 3 SEQUENCES IN THE MONTH OF JUN/07; NOT ONCE WAS THE PROTECTED AREA CLR OF ALL EQUIP. ON EVERY SINGLE ARR (17 TIMES) THERE WAS AN ACFT TOW BAR LOCATED IN THE PROTECTED AREA. I HAVE COMMUNICATED THESE INFRACTIONS TO A CHIEF PLT; AND I WAS TOLD IF THERE IS AN INCIDENT HE WOULD GO TO BAT FOR THE PLTS AT THE HEARING. THE QUESTION IS: WILL THE FAA BE AS SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING AS THE CHIEF PLT IF WE ARE INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT (IE; IF WE HIT THE TOW BAR AND INJURE A FELLOW EMPLOYEE OR DAMAGE AN AIRPLANE OR SUPPORT EQUIP)?' I DON'T THINK SO! I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT EVERY PLT AT ACR X HAS BEEN IN VIOLATION OF THIS POLICY AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. UNION SAFETY HAS RECEIVED COMPLAINTS THAT SOME STATIONS (I WOULD SAY EVERY STATION) ARE NOT ENSURING EQUIP IS SAFELY POSITIONED OUTSIDE ACFT SAFETY CLRNC LINES. IN PARTICULAR; AIR HOSES AND ELECTRICAL PWR CORDS ARE BEING PRE-POSITIONED FOR QUICK HOOK-UP (THERE IS NO MENTION OF ACFT TOW BAR; BUT IT OCCURRED 100% ON MY LAST 3 SEQUENCES). ALTHOUGH STATION PERSONNEL MAY BE ATTEMPTING TO STREAMLINE THEIR DUTIES; THIS IS CLRLY IN VIOLATION OF THE FLT MANUAL. THE FLT MANUAL DELINEATES RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS: 'ONLY DESIGNATED EQUIP WITHIN A PAINTED BOX AND LISTED ON THE FIELD RPT MAY BE WITHIN THE ACFT SAFETY CLRNC LINES. NOSEWHEEL CHOCKS ARE ANOTHER EXCEPTION.' HAVE WE HAD A CASE (INCIDENT) WHERE AN ACFT IMPACTED THE TOW BARS? IF NOT; I'D RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING: RECOMMENDATION: 1) ADD LANGUAGE TO THE MANUAL WITH A LIST OF EQUIP THAT IS AUTH IN THE PROTECTED AREA AND INCLUDE ON THAT LIST THE ACFT TOW BAR. THIS IS THE SIMPLEST AND AN IMMEDIATE FIX. 2) CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT TO TRAIN OUR RAMP PERSONNEL ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT UNAUTH EQUIP IS REMOVED AND REMAINS CLR OF THE PROTECTED AREA. SO WHAT IS THE COMPANY GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS? CONTINUE TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO THIS ISSUE UNTIL ONE OF OUR CAPTS IMPACTS A TOW BAR THEN LET THE FAA HANG THEM OUT TO DRY? OR; ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT TO TRAIN OUR RAMP PERSONNEL ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT UNAUTH EQUIP IS REMOVED AND REMAINS CLR OF THE PROTECTED AREA? THE LATTER APPROACH IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO; HOWEVER; IT WILL BE A LONG DRAWN OUT AND PAINFUL PROCESS. AND IF EVERY CAPT STOPS AND WAITS FOR THE GND CREW TO REMOVE THE ACFT TOW BAR; WE WILL HAVE COUNTLESS ARR DELAYS AND COUNTLESS AGITATED RAMP PERSONNEL. I HAVE WAITED TIL RAMP PERSONNEL MOVED THE TOW BAR AND SOME RAMPERS HAVE WALKED OFF THE JOB IN PROTEST OF MOVING THE TOW BAR AND LET OUR CUSTOMERS MISS THEIR CONNECTIONS. THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE FIX TO THIS PROB; PROVIDED THERE HAVE BEEN NO DOCUMENTED CASES OF TOW BAR INCIDENTS; IS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO THE MANUAL CLARIFYING THIS MATTER. BOTTOM LINE: WE SHOULD TAKE BOTH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION.

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.