 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Captain of carj reports fueler at atl improperly jammed fuel nozzle open and allowed aircraft to fuel out of balance while the fueler engaged in a phone conversation away from the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 646380 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200501 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : atl.airport |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Regional Jet 700 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 646380 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
While being fueled in atlanta for my trip; I noticed that I was getting a fairly large imbal between the left and right wing tanks. I left the cockpit to talk to the fueler about the imbal. When I walked around to the fueling panel; I saw that no one was there. I returned to the cockpit and saw that fuel was still going into the aircraft. Again; I checked the fueling panel and still no one was there. I went to the fuel cart and noticed that the dead-man switch (rope) was wedged between a gauge and a part of the cart so that it was fueling the aircraft with no fueler around. I un-wedged the rope and stopped the fueling. I walked back to the fueling panel just as the fueler approached the aircraft. He was talking on a cell phone and kept talking as he checked why the fueling had stopped. I immediately had him hang up the phone and tried to explain why that was so dangerous. I returned to the cockpit and called operations and asked for a fueling supervisor to come to my aircraft. After 2 calls and no supervisor; the departure coordinator got him for me. When he arrived at my aircraft; it was the same guy that had been fueling the aircraft. He told me that he was the supervisor. I informed him that I was writing it up and that I was sending a NASA report to the FAA.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF CARJ RPTS FUELER AT ATL IMPROPERLY JAMMED FUEL NOZZLE OPEN AND ALLOWED ACFT TO FUEL OUT OF BAL WHILE THE FUELER ENGAGED IN A PHONE CONVERSATION AWAY FROM THE ACFT.
Narrative: WHILE BEING FUELED IN ATLANTA FOR MY TRIP; I NOTICED THAT I WAS GETTING A FAIRLY LARGE IMBAL BTWN THE L AND R WING TANKS. I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO TALK TO THE FUELER ABOUT THE IMBAL. WHEN I WALKED AROUND TO THE FUELING PANEL; I SAW THAT NO ONE WAS THERE. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND SAW THAT FUEL WAS STILL GOING INTO THE ACFT. AGAIN; I CHKED THE FUELING PANEL AND STILL NO ONE WAS THERE. I WENT TO THE FUEL CART AND NOTICED THAT THE DEAD-MAN SWITCH (ROPE) WAS WEDGED BTWN A GAUGE AND A PART OF THE CART SO THAT IT WAS FUELING THE ACFT WITH NO FUELER AROUND. I UN-WEDGED THE ROPE AND STOPPED THE FUELING. I WALKED BACK TO THE FUELING PANEL JUST AS THE FUELER APCHED THE ACFT. HE WAS TALKING ON A CELL PHONE AND KEPT TALKING AS HE CHKED WHY THE FUELING HAD STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY HAD HIM HANG UP THE PHONE AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY THAT WAS SO DANGEROUS. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND CALLED OPS AND ASKED FOR A FUELING SUPVR TO COME TO MY ACFT. AFTER 2 CALLS AND NO SUPVR; THE DEP COORDINATOR GOT HIM FOR ME. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT MY ACFT; IT WAS THE SAME GUY THAT HAD BEEN FUELING THE ACFT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS THE SUPVR. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS WRITING IT UP AND THAT I WAS SENDING A NASA RPT TO THE FAA.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.