Narrative:

My planned flight with a student was canceled due to WX; and he wanted to look inside one of the king airs in the hangar. The hangar was closed and there were 3 aircraft packed in fairly tightly. I put him in the left seat of an EFIS king air that I used to fly; although I am not current in it. After quickly checking the landing gear and circuit breakers; I guided him in powering up the avionics bus and EFIS; but heard a strange noise from the front of the aircraft that sounded like a fan or motor. I commented on the noise; but could not determine the source of the noise until the mfd pwred up. I immediately saw from the mfd that the WX radar was on; and turned it to standby. The sound I heard had been the radar antenna scanning. Luckily; there were no personnel in the hangar; and although we radiated directly at the fuel tank of an airplane in front of us; it was far enough away that there was little danger. But that was just luck. Turning the WX radar to standby is part of the after-landing checklist due to the radiation danger to personnel and equipment; and when I flew the aircraft I was always extremely careful about this hazard; checklist or no. Frankly; it would never occur to me to check that the radar was in standby before start: that was as sure as that the wings were attached. Whoever flew the aircraft last had neglected this important item; and I was not aware of his omission until I radiated indoors. It is also possible that ramp personnel were injured by the radar beam between when the aircraft landed and when it shut down. The immediate cause of the problem was lack of checklist discipline; but this is a problem endemic with this carrier; for whom I no longer fly. The carrier is in financial straits; and has reduced training and supervision; both of which would seem to be the proper corrective action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DISCOVERS WEATHER RADAR WAS LEFT ON WHEN AIRCRAFT IS POWER UP.

Narrative: MY PLANNED FLT WITH A STUDENT WAS CANCELED DUE TO WX; AND HE WANTED TO LOOK INSIDE ONE OF THE KING AIRS IN THE HANGAR. THE HANGAR WAS CLOSED AND THERE WERE 3 ACFT PACKED IN FAIRLY TIGHTLY. I PUT HIM IN THE L SEAT OF AN EFIS KING AIR THAT I USED TO FLY; ALTHOUGH I AM NOT CURRENT IN IT. AFTER QUICKLY CHKING THE LNDG GEAR AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS; I GUIDED HIM IN POWERING UP THE AVIONICS BUS AND EFIS; BUT HEARD A STRANGE NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE ACFT THAT SOUNDED LIKE A FAN OR MOTOR. I COMMENTED ON THE NOISE; BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE UNTIL THE MFD PWRED UP. I IMMEDIATELY SAW FROM THE MFD THAT THE WX RADAR WAS ON; AND TURNED IT TO STANDBY. THE SOUND I HEARD HAD BEEN THE RADAR ANTENNA SCANNING. LUCKILY; THERE WERE NO PERSONNEL IN THE HANGAR; AND ALTHOUGH WE RADIATED DIRECTLY AT THE FUEL TANK OF AN AIRPLANE IN FRONT OF US; IT WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT THERE WAS LITTLE DANGER. BUT THAT WAS JUST LUCK. TURNING THE WX RADAR TO STANDBY IS PART OF THE AFTER-LNDG CHKLIST DUE TO THE RADIATION DANGER TO PERSONNEL AND EQUIP; AND WHEN I FLEW THE ACFT I WAS ALWAYS EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT THIS HAZARD; CHKLIST OR NO. FRANKLY; IT WOULD NEVER OCCUR TO ME TO CHK THAT THE RADAR WAS IN STANDBY BEFORE START: THAT WAS AS SURE AS THAT THE WINGS WERE ATTACHED. WHOEVER FLEW THE ACFT LAST HAD NEGLECTED THIS IMPORTANT ITEM; AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF HIS OMISSION UNTIL I RADIATED INDOORS. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT RAMP PERSONNEL WERE INJURED BY THE RADAR BEAM BTWN WHEN THE ACFT LANDED AND WHEN IT SHUT DOWN. THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS LACK OF CHKLIST DISCIPLINE; BUT THIS IS A PROB ENDEMIC WITH THIS CARRIER; FOR WHOM I NO LONGER FLY. THE CARRIER IS IN FINANCIAL STRAITS; AND HAS REDUCED TRAINING AND SUPERVISION; BOTH OF WHICH WOULD SEEM TO BE THE PROPER CORRECTIVE ACTION.

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.