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An air carrier B727 captain reports that he lowered the flaps onto a baggage cart upon a ground handler's signal. This aircraft did not have a nose steering lockout and the towbar swung when the hydraulics were turned on.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 353549 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199611 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad |
| State Reference | VA |
| 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 | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| 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 : 6600 flight time type : 4600 |
| ASRS Report | 353549 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Mechanic requested that flight crew lower flaps on his clear signal. Mechanic then gave clear signal from ground level. Flight crew pressurized hydraulic system and lowered flaps. Right inside trailing edge flap was damaged after coming in contact with baggage cart. Also, ground handler, who was aware that aircraft hydraulic system would be pressurized, gave mechanic clear signal even though he had tow bar hooked to nose gear. Upon hydraulic pressurization, the tow bar swung 20 degrees to left. Ground handler thought he had bypassed the hydraulic system by inserting a pin he understood would accomplish this. It didn't on this aircraft. Apparently some models are designed for bypass of the hydraulic system, some are not.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR B727 CAPT RPTS THAT HE LOWERED THE FLAPS ONTO A BAGGAGE CART UPON A GND HANDLER'S SIGNAL. THIS ACFT DID NOT HAVE A NOSE STEERING LOCKOUT AND THE TOWBAR SWUNG WHEN THE HYDS WERE TURNED ON.
Narrative: MECH REQUESTED THAT FLC LOWER FLAPS ON HIS CLR SIGNAL. MECH THEN GAVE CLR SIGNAL FROM GND LEVEL. FLC PRESSURIZED HYD SYS AND LOWERED FLAPS. R INSIDE TRAILING EDGE FLAP WAS DAMAGED AFTER COMING IN CONTACT WITH BAGGAGE CART. ALSO, GND HANDLER, WHO WAS AWARE THAT ACFT HYD SYS WOULD BE PRESSURIZED, GAVE MECH CLR SIGNAL EVEN THOUGH HE HAD TOW BAR HOOKED TO NOSE GEAR. UPON HYD PRESSURIZATION, THE TOW BAR SWUNG 20 DEGS TO L. GND HANDLER THOUGHT HE HAD BYPASSED THE HYD SYS BY INSERTING A PIN HE UNDERSTOOD WOULD ACCOMPLISH THIS. IT DIDN'T ON THIS ACFT. APPARENTLY SOME MODELS ARE DESIGNED FOR BYPASS OF THE HYD SYS, SOME ARE NOT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.