A commercial fixed wing turboprop aircraft while parked had a propeller blade deicer boot short out ...

Attributes
ACN	386531
Time
Date	199711
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	386531
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The right propeller boot shorted out while on ground due to the switch accidentally being turned on. This probably happened when a crew member entered or exited the cockpit. I reported the damage to company maintenance control. Both mechanic and I believe boot shorted out. Ramper who saw it said it was fire. I think he saw hot spot and sparks, not fire. I think what the ramper saw was the propeller boot shorting out, and that is different than a fire. The event lasted only a few seconds. I only saw the damage and not the event. I believe there is a difference between a short and a fire and I didn't report the event as a fire, but as a short.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING TURBOPROP ACFT WHILE PARKED HAD A PROP BLADE DEICER BOOT SHORT OUT DAMAGING THE BOOT.

Narrative: THE R PROP BOOT SHORTED OUT WHILE ON GND DUE TO THE SWITCH ACCIDENTALLY BEING TURNED ON. THIS PROBABLY HAPPENED WHEN A CREW MEMBER ENTERED OR EXITED THE COCKPIT. I RPTED THE DAMAGE TO COMPANY MAINT CTL. BOTH MECH AND I BELIEVE BOOT SHORTED OUT. RAMPER WHO SAW IT SAID IT WAS FIRE. I THINK HE SAW HOT SPOT AND SPARKS, NOT FIRE. I THINK WHAT THE RAMPER SAW WAS THE PROP BOOT SHORTING OUT, AND THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN A FIRE. THE EVENT LASTED ONLY A FEW SECONDS. I ONLY SAW THE DAMAGE AND NOT THE EVENT. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BTWN A SHORT AND A FIRE AND I DIDN'T RPT THE EVENT AS A FIRE, BUT AS A SHORT.

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.

A commercial fixed wing turboprop aircraft while parked had a propeller blade deicer boot short out damaging the boot.