Narrative:

Upon arrival to the gate at iad I was forced to stop the taxi into the gate area due to equipment inside the red lines. An electric cart had been positioned very close to the area of the nosewheel stop line. In addition to the electric cart there was a small tug well inside the protected area. I signaled for the equipment to be moved. The ground workers took the small tug and moved the electric cart approximately 3 ft forward. Both pieces of equipment were still well inside the red lines. There were no painted boxes on the ramp to indicate that any equipment could be legally parked in the area. I flashed my taxi light 3 times; a signal that I wanted them to hook up a headset and microphone in order to tell the ramp personnel what needed to be done. No one on the ramp had any idea what was meant by the flashing of the taxi light. The guide man attempted to get me to taxi the aircraft; but I refused. I continued to signal that the equipment had to be moved and it was eventually and reluctantly moved outside the secure area. I ask for a ramp supervisor. Ramp supervisor explained that the electric cart had been pre-positioned so as to hook up AC power as soon as possible in order to save fuel. I told ramp supervisor that this was not acceptable. Had there been a painted box on the ramp for the electric cart then it would be acceptable. Ramp supervisor then offered to show me; in writing their procedures. These procedures; requiring the pre-positioning of the cart; came from management. I told him that under no circumstances would I move the aircraft with any type of equipment that was not properly positioned. This is a problem that I have had many times at this station. After repeated discussions with the flight office and their attempts to remedy this situation I have no choice but to begin writing these reports. To say that the cart was far enough away but still inside the red lines is not acceptable. I have had FAA inspectors and check capts on my jumpseat and both have concurred with my assessment of the requirement to have all equipment behind the red lines. The FAA inspector was adamant about this requirement. For the record; I will not taxi an aircraft into an area that is required to be clear of all equipment. In addition I will write a report for every occurrence until this situation at iad has been remedied.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPTAIN RELATES AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT HE CONTENDS ARE SYSTEMIC FAILURES OF RAMP PERSONNEL AT IAD TO ENSURE GROUND EQUIPMENT IS KEPT OUTSIDE THE DESIGNATED CLEAR AREA.

Narrative: UPON ARR TO THE GATE AT IAD I WAS FORCED TO STOP THE TAXI INTO THE GATE AREA DUE TO EQUIP INSIDE THE RED LINES. AN ELECTRIC CART HAD BEEN POSITIONED VERY CLOSE TO THE AREA OF THE NOSEWHEEL STOP LINE. IN ADDITION TO THE ELECTRIC CART THERE WAS A SMALL TUG WELL INSIDE THE PROTECTED AREA. I SIGNALED FOR THE EQUIP TO BE MOVED. THE GND WORKERS TOOK THE SMALL TUG AND MOVED THE ELECTRIC CART APPROX 3 FT FORWARD. BOTH PIECES OF EQUIP WERE STILL WELL INSIDE THE RED LINES. THERE WERE NO PAINTED BOXES ON THE RAMP TO INDICATE THAT ANY EQUIP COULD BE LEGALLY PARKED IN THE AREA. I FLASHED MY TAXI LIGHT 3 TIMES; A SIGNAL THAT I WANTED THEM TO HOOK UP A HEADSET AND MIKE IN ORDER TO TELL THE RAMP PERSONNEL WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. NO ONE ON THE RAMP HAD ANY IDEA WHAT WAS MEANT BY THE FLASHING OF THE TAXI LIGHT. THE GUIDE MAN ATTEMPTED TO GET ME TO TAXI THE ACFT; BUT I REFUSED. I CONTINUED TO SIGNAL THAT THE EQUIP HAD TO BE MOVED AND IT WAS EVENTUALLY AND RELUCTANTLY MOVED OUTSIDE THE SECURE AREA. I ASK FOR A RAMP SUPVR. RAMP SUPVR EXPLAINED THAT THE ELECTRIC CART HAD BEEN PRE-POSITIONED SO AS TO HOOK UP AC PWR ASAP IN ORDER TO SAVE FUEL. I TOLD RAMP SUPVR THAT THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. HAD THERE BEEN A PAINTED BOX ON THE RAMP FOR THE ELECTRIC CART THEN IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. RAMP SUPVR THEN OFFERED TO SHOW ME; IN WRITING THEIR PROCS. THESE PROCS; REQUIRING THE PRE-POSITIONING OF THE CART; CAME FROM MGMNT. I TOLD HIM THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD I MOVE THE ACFT WITH ANY TYPE OF EQUIP THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONED. THIS IS A PROB THAT I HAVE HAD MANY TIMES AT THIS STATION. AFTER REPEATED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FLT OFFICE AND THEIR ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BEGIN WRITING THESE RPTS. TO SAY THAT THE CART WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY BUT STILL INSIDE THE RED LINES IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I HAVE HAD FAA INSPECTORS AND CHK CAPTS ON MY JUMPSEAT AND BOTH HAVE CONCURRED WITH MY ASSESSMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE ALL EQUIP BEHIND THE RED LINES. THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS ADAMANT ABOUT THIS REQUIREMENT. FOR THE RECORD; I WILL NOT TAXI AN ACFT INTO AN AREA THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE CLR OF ALL EQUIP. IN ADDITION I WILL WRITE A RPT FOR EVERY OCCURRENCE UNTIL THIS SITUATION AT IAD HAS BEEN REMEDIED.

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.