Narrative:

After a 30 min delay at the gate for maintenance, we were now ready for departure and we called ramp tower to notify our ground personnel to come to the aircraft. As the jetbridge hood was being retracted, the ramp personnel looked out of their shack, but then went back inside. After the bridge was pulled, we still waited several more mins for ramp personnel, who finally trickled out to the aircraft at a snail's pace. I eventually observed a ground man by our ground interphone panel with his goggles and wands, as he pulled our ground electric. As I observed his actions, I thought that he was about to call us for engine start. So, to help expedite this needless delay situation, I began to turn the left engine in anticipation of his call on the interphone. However, as the left engine was starting, he did not call on the interphone as I had expected. Since I knew that the left side of the aircraft was clear, and we have high tail mounted engines, I let the left engine idle. Soon thereafter, the ground man contacted us on the interphone. I then tried to clear up the confusion about the engine start and got clearance to start the right engine. The right engine start and pwrback then proceeded normally. I apologize for this mistake and jumping the gun. In the future, I will absolutely not turn the engine until in definite contact with the guide man, regardless of the frustrating and seemingly needless delays being taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN S80 PIC STARTS HIS L ENG PREMATURELY WITHOUT BENEFIT OF GND CREW COM.

Narrative: AFTER A 30 MIN DELAY AT THE GATE FOR MAINT, WE WERE NOW READY FOR DEP AND WE CALLED RAMP TWR TO NOTIFY OUR GND PERSONNEL TO COME TO THE ACFT. AS THE JETBRIDGE HOOD WAS BEING RETRACTED, THE RAMP PERSONNEL LOOKED OUT OF THEIR SHACK, BUT THEN WENT BACK INSIDE. AFTER THE BRIDGE WAS PULLED, WE STILL WAITED SEVERAL MORE MINS FOR RAMP PERSONNEL, WHO FINALLY TRICKLED OUT TO THE ACFT AT A SNAIL'S PACE. I EVENTUALLY OBSERVED A GND MAN BY OUR GND INTERPHONE PANEL WITH HIS GOGGLES AND WANDS, AS HE PULLED OUR GND ELECTRIC. AS I OBSERVED HIS ACTIONS, I THOUGHT THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO CALL US FOR ENG START. SO, TO HELP EXPEDITE THIS NEEDLESS DELAY SIT, I BEGAN TO TURN THE L ENG IN ANTICIPATION OF HIS CALL ON THE INTERPHONE. HOWEVER, AS THE L ENG WAS STARTING, HE DID NOT CALL ON THE INTERPHONE AS I HAD EXPECTED. SINCE I KNEW THAT THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT WAS CLR, AND WE HAVE HIGH TAIL MOUNTED ENGS, I LET THE L ENG IDLE. SOON THEREAFTER, THE GND MAN CONTACTED US ON THE INTERPHONE. I THEN TRIED TO CLR UP THE CONFUSION ABOUT THE ENG START AND GOT CLRNC TO START THE R ENG. THE R ENG START AND PWRBACK THEN PROCEEDED NORMALLY. I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS MISTAKE AND JUMPING THE GUN. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT TURN THE ENG UNTIL IN DEFINITE CONTACT WITH THE GUIDE MAN, REGARDLESS OF THE FRUSTRATING AND SEEMINGLY NEEDLESS DELAYS BEING TAKEN.

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.