B190 crew was signaled to start engines by station agent that was responsible for 2 aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	473223
Time
Date	200005
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mem.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : engine start
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 3686 flight time type : 2175
ASRS Report	473223
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

My aircraft was parked next to the terminal and another aircraft was parked to the left of me. I completed the load manifest and handed it out my window to the station agent working the flight. The station agent signaled the right was clear. I initiated start on the right engine. As I was starting the right engine, the station agent moved to my left and positioned himself between my aircraft and the aircraft next to me. He signaled the aircraft next to me that their right engine was clear and they started their right engine. He then signaled my left engine was clear, and we started our left engine. Although I (and the other crew) could see the station agent at all times, I would like to see 1 agent per airplane (not 1 agent working 2 airplanes). Our ramp can become very crowded with planes and passenger and I think safety could be greatly improved with 1 agent (or more) per airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B190 CREW WAS SIGNALED TO START ENGS BY STATION AGENT THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 2 ACFT.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE TERMINAL AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS PARKED TO THE L OF ME. I COMPLETED THE LOAD MANIFEST AND HANDED IT OUT MY WINDOW TO THE STATION AGENT WORKING THE FLT. THE STATION AGENT SIGNALED THE R WAS CLR. I INITIATED START ON THE R ENG. AS I WAS STARTING THE R ENG, THE STATION AGENT MOVED TO MY L AND POSITIONED HIMSELF BTWN MY ACFT AND THE ACFT NEXT TO ME. HE SIGNALED THE ACFT NEXT TO ME THAT THEIR R ENG WAS CLR AND THEY STARTED THEIR R ENG. HE THEN SIGNALED MY L ENG WAS CLR, AND WE STARTED OUR L ENG. ALTHOUGH I (AND THE OTHER CREW) COULD SEE THE STATION AGENT AT ALL TIMES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE 1 AGENT PER AIRPLANE (NOT 1 AGENT WORKING 2 AIRPLANES). OUR RAMP CAN BECOME VERY CROWDED WITH PLANES AND PAX AND I THINK SAFETY COULD BE GREATLY IMPROVED WITH 1 AGENT (OR MORE) PER AIRPLANE.

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.