Narrative:

We parked at gate. The brakes were set and we were waiting for power to be plugged in when we felt a violent vibration. I first thought a baggage train had hit us; but it was immediately followed by smoke outside. We shut down the engine and I requested a check for fire. There was no fire and all smoke stopped. He said the air conditioning hose was embedded in the engine. We got all the people off using the jetway and then went down to check on what happened. The ground man had accidentally turned on the air conditioning instead of the power. The air inflated the hose and launched it into the engine. The intake and fan blades were all tore up and the fan assembly completely stuffed with hose. I asked the supervisor to show me the power and air conditioning switches. It was immediately apparent to me what happened. Both switches are green and side-by-side. They are not conspicuously labeled. I would suggest the switches be in completely different locations and maybe the air conditioning button should be yellow like the color of the hose. We have to remember we are no longer dealing with people who have extensive situational awareness on the ramp and must set things up for the lowest common denominator; that is the new guy on the ramp. We were darned lucky we shut down the engine so quick or it could have been far worse than a destroyed engine; people could have been injured or killed or we could have lost an airframe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT REPORTS ON THE GATE IN ZZZ WITH ENGINES RUNNING AN AIR CONDITIONING HOSE WAS INGESTED INTO THE ENG.

Narrative: WE PARKED AT GATE. THE BRAKES WERE SET AND WE WERE WAITING FOR PWR TO BE PLUGGED IN WHEN WE FELT A VIOLENT VIBRATION. I FIRST THOUGHT A BAGGAGE TRAIN HAD HIT US; BUT IT WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY SMOKE OUTSIDE. WE SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND I REQUESTED A CHK FOR FIRE. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ALL SMOKE STOPPED. HE SAID THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE WAS EMBEDDED IN THE ENG. WE GOT ALL THE PEOPLE OFF USING THE JETWAY AND THEN WENT DOWN TO CHK ON WHAT HAPPENED. THE GND MAN HAD ACCIDENTALLY TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONING INSTEAD OF THE PWR. THE AIR INFLATED THE HOSE AND LAUNCHED IT INTO THE ENG. THE INTAKE AND FAN BLADES WERE ALL TORE UP AND THE FAN ASSEMBLY COMPLETELY STUFFED WITH HOSE. I ASKED THE SUPVR TO SHOW ME THE PWR AND AIR CONDITIONING SWITCHES. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT TO ME WHAT HAPPENED. BOTH SWITCHES ARE GREEN AND SIDE-BY-SIDE. THEY ARE NOT CONSPICUOUSLY LABELED. I WOULD SUGGEST THE SWITCHES BE IN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND MAYBE THE AIR CONDITIONING BUTTON SHOULD BE YELLOW LIKE THE COLOR OF THE HOSE. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WE ARE NO LONGER DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXTENSIVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE RAMP AND MUST SET THINGS UP FOR THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR; THAT IS THE NEW GUY ON THE RAMP. WE WERE DARNED LUCKY WE SHUT DOWN THE ENG SO QUICK OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE THAN A DESTROYED ENG; PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED OR WE COULD HAVE LOST AN AIRFRAME.

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.