Flight crew of a DHC8 taxied out for takeoff with the fuel door hanging down in the open position. A...

Attributes
ACN	374666
Time
Date	199707
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : yhm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	374666
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I proceeded to conduct my outside (exterior) preflight inspection of the aircraft. The fueler had not yet arrived during my walkaround inspection. Our flight outbound from phl was due out at XA58. At approximately XX30 hours I returned to the cockpit and could see that a fuel truck arrived some time later (around XY40 hours). At approximately XY48 the passenger arrived. The captain and myself completed the before start checklist and when cleared by the ramp personnel, started the engines. We taxied to runway 17 in preparation for departure and while we were #3 for takeoff, the ground controller told us that, 'aircraft behind you says that your fuel door appears to be open and the fuel cap is off.' the captain obtained permission to shut down on the taxiway approximately 100 ft from the hold short line for runway 17. I went out and secured the fuel door and cap and returned to the flight deck. (We shut down the #1 engine prior to opening the door but left #2 running in start-feather. We departed phl uneventfully. The dash 8 does not have a fuel door open caution light which I believe would have prevented this from happening, even though the fueler was in error, and the ramp personnel waved us off the gate without noticing the door open and cap hanging down. We were very fortunate that we were in the line-up with someone behind us that day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DHC8 TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF WITH THE FUEL DOOR HANGING DOWN IN THE OPEN POS. ANOTHER ACFT, TAXIING IN TRAIL, FLC NOTIFIED RPTR THAT THE DOOR SEEMED TO BE OPEN. THE CREW RECEIVED THE TWR'S PERMISSION TO GET OUT OF LINE TO CLOSE THE DOOR BEFORE TKOF.

Narrative: I PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT MY OUTSIDE (EXTERIOR) PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. THE FUELER HAD NOT YET ARRIVED DURING MY WALKAROUND INSPECTION. OUR FLT OUTBOUND FROM PHL WAS DUE OUT AT XA58. AT APPROX XX30 HRS I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND COULD SEE THAT A FUEL TRUCK ARRIVED SOME TIME LATER (AROUND XY40 HRS). AT APPROX XY48 THE PAX ARRIVED. THE CAPT AND MYSELF COMPLETED THE BEFORE START CHKLIST AND WHEN CLRED BY THE RAMP PERSONNEL, STARTED THE ENGS. WE TAXIED TO RWY 17 IN PREPARATION FOR DEP AND WHILE WE WERE #3 FOR TKOF, THE GND CTLR TOLD US THAT, 'ACFT BEHIND YOU SAYS THAT YOUR FUEL DOOR APPEARS TO BE OPEN AND THE FUEL CAP IS OFF.' THE CAPT OBTAINED PERMISSION TO SHUT DOWN ON THE TXWY APPROX 100 FT FROM THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17. I WENT OUT AND SECURED THE FUEL DOOR AND CAP AND RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK. (WE SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG PRIOR TO OPENING THE DOOR BUT LEFT #2 RUNNING IN START-FEATHER. WE DEPARTED PHL UNEVENTFULLY. THE DASH 8 DOES NOT HAVE A FUEL DOOR OPEN CAUTION LIGHT WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING, EVEN THOUGH THE FUELER WAS IN ERROR, AND THE RAMP PERSONNEL WAVED US OFF THE GATE WITHOUT NOTICING THE DOOR OPEN AND CAP HANGING DOWN. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE IN THE LINE-UP WITH SOMEONE BEHIND US THAT DAY.

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.

Flight crew of a DHC8 taxied out for takeoff with the fuel door hanging down in the open position. Another aircraft, taxiing in trail, flight crew notified reporter that the door seemed to be open. The crew received the tower's permission to get out of line to close the door before takeoff.