An EMB145 captain comments that his air carrier's delayed APU start policy creates a hazard for gate...

Attributes
ACN	695192
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cmh.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 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
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	695192
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Upon reaching the gate; I set the parking brake. I started the APU. With the beacon on and the engines running; the cargo bin door was opened up and the ramp agents began unloading while the engines were running. When the APU came on-line; I shut down the engines and turned off the beacon. Company policy of waiting to start the APU at the gate is dangerous and could cause some serious damage to our aircraft in the future. The ramp agents do not pay any attention to the running of the beacon and the engines. A FOD ingestion is imminent. The other issue is the diversion of attention of the engine shutdown procedures. When that door opened; my attention was focused on those guys opening that door; not on a proper shutdown to which my attention should have been placed. Our first officer's should be able to monitor and start the APU's on the taxi in. This would allow the captain to pay proper attention to the task at hand. This would reduce our pilot workload and make for a safer operation. I find our current policy dangerous and in need of some serious rethinking.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 CAPT COMMENTS THAT HIS ACR'S DELAYED APU START POLICY CREATES A HAZARD FOR GATE GND PERSONNEL BECAUSE THE ENGS RUN UNTIL THE APU IS ON-LINE.

Narrative: UPON REACHING THE GATE; I SET THE PARKING BRAKE. I STARTED THE APU. WITH THE BEACON ON AND THE ENGS RUNNING; THE CARGO BIN DOOR WAS OPENED UP AND THE RAMP AGENTS BEGAN UNLOADING WHILE THE ENGS WERE RUNNING. WHEN THE APU CAME ON-LINE; I SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND TURNED OFF THE BEACON. COMPANY POLICY OF WAITING TO START THE APU AT THE GATE IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE TO OUR ACFT IN THE FUTURE. THE RAMP AGENTS DO NOT PAY ANY ATTN TO THE RUNNING OF THE BEACON AND THE ENGS. A FOD INGESTION IS IMMINENT. THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE DIVERSION OF ATTN OF THE ENG SHUTDOWN PROCS. WHEN THAT DOOR OPENED; MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THOSE GUYS OPENING THAT DOOR; NOT ON A PROPER SHUTDOWN TO WHICH MY ATTN SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED. OUR FO'S SHOULD BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND START THE APU'S ON THE TAXI IN. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE CAPT TO PAY PROPER ATTN TO THE TASK AT HAND. THIS WOULD REDUCE OUR PLT WORKLOAD AND MAKE FOR A SAFER OP. I FIND OUR CURRENT POLICY DANGEROUS AND IN NEED OF SOME SERIOUS RETHINKING.

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.

An EMB145 captain comments that his air carrier's delayed APU start policy creates a hazard for gate ground personnel because the engines run until the APU is on-line.