Narrative:

Approximately 15 mins prior to pushback, called special assist about fueling situation since only wing tanks had fuel at this point. Aircraft had deferred maintenance item X for fuel shutoff valves that required maintenance procedures for refueling. Copilot went to fueling station to see about delay. He mentioned maintenance carry-over to fueler on ladder, but that person seemed unable to comprehend english well and motioned toward another person heading to maintenance office. Copilot followed him there where maintenance personnel said they just heard about it, but should have been called 30 mins prior to pushback by fuelers. At pushback time, there was still no fuel in center tank, so I went down to inquire. There were about 6 people around wheel well and fueling station. At least some were mechanics, but not sure since uniforms are similar. I talked with 1 mechanic and mentioned the maintenance carry-over. They were not aware of the maintenance carry-over and apparently had been troubleshooting the fueling problem. I returned to cockpit, made PA about delay and noticed fuel going into center tank. Approximately 10 mins later, ground agent (or fueler or mechanic -- not sure because of similar uniforms) brought the completed fuel slip to cockpit. Several mins later gate agent brought final paperwork. Flight attendants were ready and closed cockpit door. All overhead door lights were out, so I turned on hydraulic and fuel pumps for pushback/start. I called down to ramp agent several times, but no one answered. A few mins later someone outside my window (again not sure because of uniform similarity) walked by and made a slashing signal across his throat (similar to engine shutdown signal) and continued back under aircraft. Since ground air/power were still on, I assumed he was telling me he was going to disconnect them. He soon reappeared and gave same signal. I opened window (still no ramp agents or headphones) to see what he meant. He yelled to turn off the pumps, which I did. A mechanic was still in the wheel well finishing up his procedures. Luckily some interlocks prevented the doors from closing on him. At no time was a red OTS tag in place. Several mins later ramp agents came to aircraft. An agent hooked up head phones and apologized for being late because of pushing back another aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 INCURRING A FUELING DELAY, AND WITH NO GND TO COCKPIT COM, THE FLT CREW STARTED THE HYD PUMP PREPARING FOR PUSHBACK. THIS ENDANGERED PERSONNEL WORKING IN THE MAIN WHEEL WELL.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, CALLED SPECIAL ASSIST ABOUT FUELING SIT SINCE ONLY WING TANKS HAD FUEL AT THIS POINT. ACFT HAD DEFERRED MAINT ITEM X FOR FUEL SHUTOFF VALVES THAT REQUIRED MAINT PROCS FOR REFUELING. COPLT WENT TO FUELING STATION TO SEE ABOUT DELAY. HE MENTIONED MAINT CARRY-OVER TO FUELER ON LADDER, BUT THAT PERSON SEEMED UNABLE TO COMPREHEND ENGLISH WELL AND MOTIONED TOWARD ANOTHER PERSON HEADING TO MAINT OFFICE. COPLT FOLLOWED HIM THERE WHERE MAINT PERSONNEL SAID THEY JUST HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED 30 MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK BY FUELERS. AT PUSHBACK TIME, THERE WAS STILL NO FUEL IN CTR TANK, SO I WENT DOWN TO INQUIRE. THERE WERE ABOUT 6 PEOPLE AROUND WHEEL WELL AND FUELING STATION. AT LEAST SOME WERE MECHS, BUT NOT SURE SINCE UNIFORMS ARE SIMILAR. I TALKED WITH 1 MECH AND MENTIONED THE MAINT CARRY-OVER. THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE MAINT CARRY-OVER AND APPARENTLY HAD BEEN TROUBLESHOOTING THE FUELING PROB. I RETURNED TO COCKPIT, MADE PA ABOUT DELAY AND NOTICED FUEL GOING INTO CTR TANK. APPROX 10 MINS LATER, GND AGENT (OR FUELER OR MECH -- NOT SURE BECAUSE OF SIMILAR UNIFORMS) BROUGHT THE COMPLETED FUEL SLIP TO COCKPIT. SEVERAL MINS LATER GATE AGENT BROUGHT FINAL PAPERWORK. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE READY AND CLOSED COCKPIT DOOR. ALL OVERHEAD DOOR LIGHTS WERE OUT, SO I TURNED ON HYD AND FUEL PUMPS FOR PUSHBACK/START. I CALLED DOWN TO RAMP AGENT SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. A FEW MINS LATER SOMEONE OUTSIDE MY WINDOW (AGAIN NOT SURE BECAUSE OF UNIFORM SIMILARITY) WALKED BY AND MADE A SLASHING SIGNAL ACROSS HIS THROAT (SIMILAR TO ENG SHUTDOWN SIGNAL) AND CONTINUED BACK UNDER ACFT. SINCE GND AIR/PWR WERE STILL ON, I ASSUMED HE WAS TELLING ME HE WAS GOING TO DISCONNECT THEM. HE SOON REAPPEARED AND GAVE SAME SIGNAL. I OPENED WINDOW (STILL NO RAMP AGENTS OR HEADPHONES) TO SEE WHAT HE MEANT. HE YELLED TO TURN OFF THE PUMPS, WHICH I DID. A MECH WAS STILL IN THE WHEEL WELL FINISHING UP HIS PROCS. LUCKILY SOME INTERLOCKS PREVENTED THE DOORS FROM CLOSING ON HIM. AT NO TIME WAS A RED OTS TAG IN PLACE. SEVERAL MINS LATER RAMP AGENTS CAME TO ACFT. AN AGENT HOOKED UP HEAD PHONES AND APOLOGIZED FOR BEING LATE BECAUSE OF PUSHING BACK ANOTHER ACFT.

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.