Narrative:

The agents for our flight had closed the cabin door approximately 10 mins early. After pushback and with both engines started and after the salute and release from guidance; we realized that we had not received the pilot notification form for dangerous goods. We confirmed with operations and our final weight manifest to confirm that we did indeed have the material on board. The ramp advised us to 'stand by' while they 'look into it.' a very short time after we spoke with ramp control; we heard the access panel open up and the ramp personnel plug into the interphone jack. He made contact with us and asked us to 'shut engine #2 down' which we did immediately. The ramp personnel advised they would be opening up the forward cargo door. The first officer then noticed looking out the right window that the belt loader was positioned inside the wing (between the engine and wingtip). The ramp then drove the belt loader up while engine #2 had just been shut down and still spooling down at a high speed. There were many SOP violations in this event. First; the ramp personnel made no attempt to contact us before approaching the airplane after the salute and release. Second; the ramper who approached the airplane from the right side entered into the danger zone of an operating engine. Third; the belt loader was positioned inside the wingtip (again) after the salute and release from guidance. Had we begun our taxi for any reason; we could have potentially run over not only the belt loader but the ramper himself. When I asked the ramper why he approached the airplane after the salute and release; his response was 'well; my supervisor is right here with me and I figured it would be ok.' this event could have had very serious consequences had a different set of circumstances been present. The fact most troubling to me is that this is not the first time this has happened to me and that the danger the ramper was in didn't appear to either concern him or wasn't something he understood. Very troubling!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT CREW OBSERVED RAMP EMPLOYEE APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT AFTER ENGINE START WITHIN THE DANGER ZONE OF THE OPERATING ENG.

Narrative: THE AGENTS FOR OUR FLT HAD CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR APPROX 10 MINS EARLY. AFTER PUSHBACK AND WITH BOTH ENGS STARTED AND AFTER THE SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE; WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PLT NOTIFICATION FORM FOR DANGEROUS GOODS. WE CONFIRMED WITH OPS AND OUR FINAL WT MANIFEST TO CONFIRM THAT WE DID INDEED HAVE THE MATERIAL ON BOARD. THE RAMP ADVISED US TO 'STAND BY' WHILE THEY 'LOOK INTO IT.' A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER WE SPOKE WITH RAMP CTL; WE HEARD THE ACCESS PANEL OPEN UP AND THE RAMP PERSONNEL PLUG INTO THE INTERPHONE JACK. HE MADE CONTACT WITH US AND ASKED US TO 'SHUT ENG #2 DOWN' WHICH WE DID IMMEDIATELY. THE RAMP PERSONNEL ADVISED THEY WOULD BE OPENING UP THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. THE FO THEN NOTICED LOOKING OUT THE R WINDOW THAT THE BELT LOADER WAS POSITIONED INSIDE THE WING (BTWN THE ENG AND WINGTIP). THE RAMP THEN DROVE THE BELT LOADER UP WHILE ENG #2 HAD JUST BEEN SHUT DOWN AND STILL SPOOLING DOWN AT A HIGH SPD. THERE WERE MANY SOP VIOLATIONS IN THIS EVENT. FIRST; THE RAMP PERSONNEL MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT US BEFORE APCHING THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE SALUTE AND RELEASE. SECOND; THE RAMPER WHO APCHED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE R SIDE ENTERED INTO THE DANGER ZONE OF AN OPERATING ENG. THIRD; THE BELT LOADER WAS POSITIONED INSIDE THE WINGTIP (AGAIN) AFTER THE SALUTE AND RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE. HAD WE BEGUN OUR TAXI FOR ANY REASON; WE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY RUN OVER NOT ONLY THE BELT LOADER BUT THE RAMPER HIMSELF. WHEN I ASKED THE RAMPER WHY HE APCHED THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE SALUTE AND RELEASE; HIS RESPONSE WAS 'WELL; MY SUPVR IS RIGHT HERE WITH ME AND I FIGURED IT WOULD BE OK.' THIS EVENT COULD HAVE HAD VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN PRESENT. THE FACT MOST TROUBLING TO ME IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND THAT THE DANGER THE RAMPER WAS IN DIDN'T APPEAR TO EITHER CONCERN HIM OR WASN'T SOMETHING HE UNDERSTOOD. VERY TROUBLING!

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.