Narrative:

Upon arrival at the gate; jetway was positioned at l-hand emergency exit (2L door) with the #1 engine still running. Agent then opened the exit; made a PA announcement; and deplaned approximately 30 people before deplaning ceased and door was secured closed. Ramp personnel brought gate return luggage and strollers to the jetway via the outside stairs directly in front of the running engine. External power was also attached to the aircraft. ECAM door page was not observed as other messages associated with engine shutdown were displayed. I did not shut down the engine as I was concerned with adding to the confusion and communications problems by interrupting normal electrical power. The APU was started and the engine was shut down 4 mins after block-in. No communication was received in the cockpit from the flight attendant at the '2L' door prior to opening the door. In retrospect; I probably should have shut down the #1 engine immediately. Training; training; training! Our ground personnel do not seem to understand or respect the dangers of a running engine. We frequently see ramp personnel walking in front of or near an engine during or after start. We also see jetways moving toward the aircraft before the aircraft is stopped and jetways parked outside the safe parking zone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 PAX ARE DEPLANED THROUGH DOOR 2L; IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE STILL OPERATING LEFT ENGINE.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE GATE; JETWAY WAS POSITIONED AT L-HAND EMER EXIT (2L DOOR) WITH THE #1 ENG STILL RUNNING. AGENT THEN OPENED THE EXIT; MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT; AND DEPLANED APPROX 30 PEOPLE BEFORE DEPLANING CEASED AND DOOR WAS SECURED CLOSED. RAMP PERSONNEL BROUGHT GATE RETURN LUGGAGE AND STROLLERS TO THE JETWAY VIA THE OUTSIDE STAIRS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE RUNNING ENG. EXTERNAL PWR WAS ALSO ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. ECAM DOOR PAGE WAS NOT OBSERVED AS OTHER MESSAGES ASSOCIATED WITH ENG SHUTDOWN WERE DISPLAYED. I DID NOT SHUT DOWN THE ENG AS I WAS CONCERNED WITH ADDING TO THE CONFUSION AND COMS PROBS BY INTERRUPTING NORMAL ELECTRICAL PWR. THE APU WAS STARTED AND THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN 4 MINS AFTER BLOCK-IN. NO COM WAS RECEIVED IN THE COCKPIT FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT AT THE '2L' DOOR PRIOR TO OPENING THE DOOR. IN RETROSPECT; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG IMMEDIATELY. TRAINING; TRAINING; TRAINING! OUR GND PERSONNEL DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND OR RESPECT THE DANGERS OF A RUNNING ENG. WE FREQUENTLY SEE RAMP PERSONNEL WALKING IN FRONT OF OR NEAR AN ENG DURING OR AFTER START. WE ALSO SEE JETWAYS MOVING TOWARD THE ACFT BEFORE THE ACFT IS STOPPED AND JETWAYS PARKED OUTSIDE THE SAFE PARKING ZONE.

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.