An A319 stopped abruptly in order to avoid a collision with a fuel truck in an sfo ramp area.

Attributes
ACN	747327
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 11300 flight time type : 1350
ASRS Report	747327
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Airport
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

I had to abruptly hit my brakes to avoid collision with a contract fuel truck. As I was turning into the lead-in light to gate X observed a fuel truck coming from my left at what I perceived at a higher than normal rate of speed. I kept my taxi light on just in case the driver didn't see me. I started to slow down even further since the fuel truck didn't appear to be slowing down. I realized the fuel truck wasn't going to stop as he was coming towards me fast. I hit my brakes and put my taxi light onto takeoff position for further visibility. The driver swerved off the service road and sped off around the corner towards another gate. First officer immediately called ground control to report the near hit. Once we shut down I followed up with a call to sfo airport operations safety person to explain the incident. If I hadn't stopped; I believe the fuel truck would have collided with us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 STOPPED ABRUPTLY IN ORDER TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH A FUEL TRUCK IN AN SFO RAMP AREA.

Narrative: I HAD TO ABRUPTLY HIT MY BRAKES TO AVOID COLLISION WITH A CONTRACT FUEL TRUCK. AS I WAS TURNING INTO THE LEAD-IN LIGHT TO GATE X OBSERVED A FUEL TRUCK COMING FROM MY L AT WHAT I PERCEIVED AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE OF SPD. I KEPT MY TAXI LIGHT ON JUST IN CASE THE DRIVER DIDN'T SEE ME. I STARTED TO SLOW DOWN EVEN FURTHER SINCE THE FUEL TRUCK DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE SLOWING DOWN. I REALIZED THE FUEL TRUCK WASN'T GOING TO STOP AS HE WAS COMING TOWARDS ME FAST. I HIT MY BRAKES AND PUT MY TAXI LIGHT ONTO TKOF POS FOR FURTHER VISIBILITY. THE DRIVER SWERVED OFF THE SVC ROAD AND SPED OFF AROUND THE CORNER TOWARDS ANOTHER GATE. FO IMMEDIATELY CALLED GND CTL TO RPT THE NEAR HIT. ONCE WE SHUT DOWN I FOLLOWED UP WITH A CALL TO SFO ARPT OPS SAFETY PERSON TO EXPLAIN THE INCIDENT. IF I HADN'T STOPPED; I BELIEVE THE FUEL TRUCK WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH US.

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.