Air carrier medium large transport on charter to strange airport with inoperative APU had to crossbl...

Attributes
ACN	92090
Time
Date	198808
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rap
State Reference	SD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10500
ASRS Report	92090
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Dispatched from sea to rap to sea on 8/sat/88. The medium large transport aircraft was dispatched with the APU inoperative. The APU normally supplies electrical and pneumatic air for engine starts. Prior to departure from sea, we called operations (FBO in rapid city) to insure a ground electrical unit, and a pneumatic ground air cart would be available for engine starting. Company confirmed both were available. Ground pneumatic air was available for starting the right engine. The ground pneumatic air then failed, and as a result the only means to start the left engine was a cross bleed start. The right engine power had to be advanced well behind idle in order to achieve the necessary air pressure to start the left engine. The area beyond the aircraft was inspected by ground personnel and crew prior to advancing the right engine to insure no jet blast damage would occur. To my knowledge, no damage was done to equipment, or personnel in the vicinity, and I filed this report because this is a nonstandard procedure. To avoid power setting well behind idle and potential jet blast, aircraft should not be dispatched into airports with APU's inoperative, if only one pneumatic air source is available on the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ON CHARTER TO STRANGE ARPT WITH INOPERATIVE APU HAD TO CROSSBLEED START SECOND ENGINE AFTER GND PNEUMATIC FAILED AFTER FIRST ENGINE START.

Narrative: DISPATCHED FROM SEA TO RAP TO SEA ON 8/SAT/88. THE MLG ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE APU INOP. THE APU NORMALLY SUPPLIES ELECTRICAL AND PNEUMATIC AIR FOR ENG STARTS. PRIOR TO DEP FROM SEA, WE CALLED OPS (FBO IN RAPID CITY) TO INSURE A GND ELECTRICAL UNIT, AND A PNEUMATIC GND AIR CART WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR ENG STARTING. COMPANY CONFIRMED BOTH WERE AVAILABLE. GND PNEUMATIC AIR WAS AVAILABLE FOR STARTING THE RIGHT ENG. THE GND PNEUMATIC AIR THEN FAILED, AND AS A RESULT THE ONLY MEANS TO START THE LEFT ENG WAS A CROSS BLEED START. THE RIGHT ENG PWR HAD TO BE ADVANCED WELL BEHIND IDLE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE NECESSARY AIR PRESSURE TO START THE LEFT ENG. THE AREA BEYOND THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY GND PERSONNEL AND CREW PRIOR TO ADVANCING THE RIGHT ENG TO INSURE NO JET BLAST DAMAGE WOULD OCCUR. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO EQUIP, OR PERSONNEL IN THE VICINITY, AND I FILED THIS RPT BECAUSE THIS IS A NONSTANDARD PROC. TO AVOID PWR SETTING WELL BEHIND IDLE AND POTENTIAL JET BLAST, ACFT SHOULD NOT BE DISPATCHED INTO ARPTS WITH APU'S INOP, IF ONLY ONE PNEUMATIC AIR SOURCE IS AVAILABLE ON THE FIELD.

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.

Air carrier medium large transport on charter to strange airport with inoperative APU had to crossbleed start second engine after ground pneumatic failed after first engine start.