An A320 was pushed off the gate with the #1 engine cowling not secured. Cowl opened on gate for deferred item oil quantity indication inoperative visual sight check.

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Attributes
ACN	658380
Time
Date	200505
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : pushback ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11200 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	658380
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 5
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

After the walkaround was completed; ground personnel opened a portion of the #1 engine cowl to service the oil quantity to full. This was to meet the requirements of deferral X. The requirements were met and a new mrd was issued. After pushback and engine start; we were informed by another aircraft that a portion of the #1 engine cowl was open. We returned to the gate and had ground personnel secure the cowl. The flight pushed again and proceeded without further incident. There were 2 opportunities to catch this error. The first was after the oil was checked and the second was during the pushback crew's walkaround prior to push. In the rush for on-time departures; it's easy to miss some of the details. Some extra diligence and a thorough check should catch this type of error. Had it not been for the observance of another flight crew; we would have departed with a portion of the cowl open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WAS PUSHED OFF THE GATE WITH THE #1 ENG COWLING NOT SECURED. COWL OPENED ON GATE FOR DEFERRED ITEM OIL QUANTITY INDICATION INOP VISUAL SIGHT CHK.

Narrative: AFTER THE WALKAROUND WAS COMPLETED; GND PERSONNEL OPENED A PORTION OF THE #1 ENG COWL TO SVC THE OIL QUANTITY TO FULL. THIS WAS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF DEFERRAL X. THE REQUIREMENTS WERE MET AND A NEW MRD WAS ISSUED. AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START; WE WERE INFORMED BY ANOTHER ACFT THAT A PORTION OF THE #1 ENG COWL WAS OPEN. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND HAD GND PERSONNEL SECURE THE COWL. THE FLT PUSHED AGAIN AND PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE WERE 2 OPPORTUNITIES TO CATCH THIS ERROR. THE FIRST WAS AFTER THE OIL WAS CHKED AND THE SECOND WAS DURING THE PUSHBACK CREW'S WALKAROUND PRIOR TO PUSH. IN THE RUSH FOR ON-TIME DEPS; IT'S EASY TO MISS SOME OF THE DETAILS. SOME EXTRA DILIGENCE AND A THOROUGH CHK SHOULD CATCH THIS TYPE OF ERROR. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF ANOTHER FLT CREW; WE WOULD HAVE DEPARTED WITH A PORTION OF THE COWL OPEN.

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.