 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Engine started when fueling in progress.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 82154 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198802 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 82154 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We had been on the ground at atl for about 15 mins after landing in icing conditions. The captain began to start the left engine. I looked out the right side of the airplane and saw that it was being fueled and I advised the captain. He said he was just going to run the left engine for a minute to see if the deice boots on the left wing were working. The person who was fueling came inside the airplane, obviously upset, and asked the captain if he knew he was fueling the airplane. The captain said he knew about it, but didn't realize that starting the left engine was going to effect the fueler (on the right side of the plane). The mechanic, who had been inspecting the deice boots, came inside the airplane and told the captain he needed the engine run at a higher speed. The captain complied and the mechanic went back outside to check the boots. The captain and mechanic then had a short discussion through the captain's window, which opens to the outside. (The mechanic probably told him to start the right engine.) the captain asked me if he was still fueling the airplane. I told him that the truck was still there, but the fueler was not. The mechanic walked around to look at the right side of the airplane and then walked back to the front. The captain then started the right engine. The fueler came back into the plane and told the captain the fuel truck was still parked beside the plane. I do not know why the captain started either engine with the fuel truck beside the airplane, except that he must have been hurrying to find the problem with the boots so the next flight could get out on time. The engines were shut down, the boot was patched and we left on the next flight to gsp about 30 mins late. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: company policy is very specific in not operating an engine when fueling is in progress. Mechanic was troubleshooting the deice system and requested the captain to start the engine. Apparently the captain was concerned about schedule more than company regulations because the engine was started. Company chief pilot suggested the reporter submit report to ASRS and the captain has been reprimanded.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENGINE STARTED WHEN FUELING IN PROGRESS.
Narrative: WE HAD BEEN ON THE GND AT ATL FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER LNDG IN ICING CONDITIONS. THE CAPT BEGAN TO START THE LEFT ENG. I LOOKED OUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND SAW THAT IT WAS BEING FUELED AND I ADVISED THE CAPT. HE SAID HE WAS JUST GOING TO RUN THE LEFT ENG FOR A MINUTE TO SEE IF THE DEICE BOOTS ON THE LEFT WING WERE WORKING. THE PERSON WHO WAS FUELING CAME INSIDE THE AIRPLANE, OBVIOUSLY UPSET, AND ASKED THE CAPT IF HE KNEW HE WAS FUELING THE AIRPLANE. THE CAPT SAID HE KNEW ABOUT IT, BUT DIDN'T REALIZE THAT STARTING THE LEFT ENG WAS GOING TO EFFECT THE FUELER (ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLANE). THE MECH, WHO HAD BEEN INSPECTING THE DEICE BOOTS, CAME INSIDE THE AIRPLANE AND TOLD THE CAPT HE NEEDED THE ENG RUN AT A HIGHER SPD. THE CAPT COMPLIED AND THE MECH WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO CHK THE BOOTS. THE CAPT AND MECH THEN HAD A SHORT DISCUSSION THROUGH THE CAPT'S WINDOW, WHICH OPENS TO THE OUTSIDE. (THE MECH PROBABLY TOLD HIM TO START THE RIGHT ENG.) THE CAPT ASKED ME IF HE WAS STILL FUELING THE AIRPLANE. I TOLD HIM THAT THE TRUCK WAS STILL THERE, BUT THE FUELER WAS NOT. THE MECH WALKED AROUND TO LOOK AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THEN WALKED BACK TO THE FRONT. THE CAPT THEN STARTED THE RIGHT ENG. THE FUELER CAME BACK INTO THE PLANE AND TOLD THE CAPT THE FUEL TRUCK WAS STILL PARKED BESIDE THE PLANE. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE CAPT STARTED EITHER ENG WITH THE FUEL TRUCK BESIDE THE AIRPLANE, EXCEPT THAT HE MUST HAVE BEEN HURRYING TO FIND THE PROB WITH THE BOOTS SO THE NEXT FLT COULD GET OUT ON TIME. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN, THE BOOT WAS PATCHED AND WE LEFT ON THE NEXT FLT TO GSP ABOUT 30 MINS LATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: COMPANY POLICY IS VERY SPECIFIC IN NOT OPERATING AN ENG WHEN FUELING IS IN PROGRESS. MECH WAS TROUBLESHOOTING THE DEICE SYS AND REQUESTED THE CAPT TO START THE ENG. APPARENTLY THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SCHEDULE MORE THAN COMPANY REGS BECAUSE THE ENG WAS STARTED. COMPANY CHIEF PLT SUGGESTED THE RPTR SUBMIT RPT TO ASRS AND THE CAPT HAS BEEN REPRIMANDED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.