Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft to do cockpit set up. Interior of aircraft was 90 degrees F. Called operations on radio and asked to have ground air hooked up. 15 mins later; ground air still not hooked up so I started the APU. I called operations and advised them I had started the APU and there was no longer any need for ground air to be hooked up. At this point; I completed my cockpit set-up. I left the flight deck to go into the terminal to purchase food. Upon arrival back at the aircraft; I noticed the APU was no longer on the ground air and ground power had been hooked up and were operating. I asked the first officer if he had shut down the APU or was asked to do so. He stated he was not advised; asked or aware that the APU had been shut down. I called station operations and asked if they knew who had shut down the APU. I was advised that someone from the ramp had shut it down. I told station operations to pass the word that manipulating cockpit controls in direct opposition to the captain's request was unacceptable. Having non-flight qualified individuals; or for that matter any individual be they maintenance; flight or otherwise manipulating cockpit controls after the captain and first officer have performed preflight cockpit setups is extremely dangerous. A second full and thorough cockpit set up was accomplished to ensure no other switches or controls had been interfered with or manipulated by ramp personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPTAIN IS UNABLE TO OBTAIN GROUND AIR AT GATE; THEREFORE HE STARTS THE APU AND CANCELS GROUND AIR REQUEST. CAPTAIN RETURNS TO AIRCRAFT TO FIND AIR CONNECTED AND APU OFF. CAPTAIN IS VERY DISPLEASED WITH GROUND CREW.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT TO DO COCKPIT SET UP. INTERIOR OF ACFT WAS 90 DEGS F. CALLED OPS ON RADIO AND ASKED TO HAVE GND AIR HOOKED UP. 15 MINS LATER; GND AIR STILL NOT HOOKED UP SO I STARTED THE APU. I CALLED OPS AND ADVISED THEM I HAD STARTED THE APU AND THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY NEED FOR GND AIR TO BE HOOKED UP. AT THIS POINT; I COMPLETED MY COCKPIT SET-UP. I LEFT THE FLT DECK TO GO INTO THE TERMINAL TO PURCHASE FOOD. UPON ARR BACK AT THE ACFT; I NOTICED THE APU WAS NO LONGER ON THE GND AIR AND GND PWR HAD BEEN HOOKED UP AND WERE OPERATING. I ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD SHUT DOWN THE APU OR WAS ASKED TO DO SO. HE STATED HE WAS NOT ADVISED; ASKED OR AWARE THAT THE APU HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN. I CALLED STATION OPS AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW WHO HAD SHUT DOWN THE APU. I WAS ADVISED THAT SOMEONE FROM THE RAMP HAD SHUT IT DOWN. I TOLD STATION OPS TO PASS THE WORD THAT MANIPULATING COCKPIT CTLS IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THE CAPT'S REQUEST WAS UNACCEPTABLE. HAVING NON-FLT QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS; OR FOR THAT MATTER ANY INDIVIDUAL BE THEY MAINT; FLT OR OTHERWISE MANIPULATING COCKPIT CTLS AFTER THE CAPT AND FO HAVE PERFORMED PREFLT COCKPIT SETUPS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. A SECOND FULL AND THOROUGH COCKPIT SET UP WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO ENSURE NO OTHER SWITCHES OR CTLS HAD BEEN INTERFERED WITH OR MANIPULATED BY RAMP PERSONNEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.