Narrative:

This aircraft never left the gate. Major damage occurred to the left engine shortly after starting engines at the gate (APU was inoperative). Pneumatic air; external electrical power and; apparently; preconditioned air were all attached during start. While all cords and hoses were being disconnected after start; the preconditioned air hose was ingested into the left engine. The first indication in the cockpit was a noticeable vibration in the airframe. We were looking at engine instruments to try to determine the cause when a ground man signaled to shut down the left engine. We understood that a fire or torching had occurred. I shut down the left engine at that time; asked for external power to be restored; and then shut down the right engine. My first officer simultaneously called for fire trucks to respond. I made the appropriate PA's and calls to the flight attendants; and we completed the parking checklist. By this time the fire department had arrived. They had nothing to do; however; as there was no fire after the brief torching upon ingestion. Just before start a ground man had asked to disconnect something. However; his speech and the noise level were such that I failed to understand his question. I still didn't understand him when I asked him to repeat. I then said that he should leave air and electrical connected as our APU was inoperative; and we would; therefore; be starting at the gate. I did not specify pneumatic or positive control area air; just 'air' as I recall it. One ground man was injured when the hose hit him in the arm during this event; I was informed. Usually positive control area is removed just before departure by ground personnel without coordination with the cockpit. I find nothing in our flight manual that addresses when positive control area should be removed. I have always assumed procedures regarding it were the purview of the ground crew. I think that it would be prudent to assure that positive control area is always removed before starting any engine at the gate. It would be a good idea to talk to the ground man to determine which engine to start at the gate rather than always starting the left one first. Just starting 1 engine at the gate and then the other on pushback would not have been enough to prevent this accident unless it was the right one that was started first.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER AN EXTERNAL AIR ASSISTED START; WITH AN INOP APU; A B757-200'S ENG INGESTED AN AIR HOSE AS THEY WERE BEING DISCONNECTED; INJURING A RAMP PERSON.

Narrative: THIS ACFT NEVER LEFT THE GATE. MAJOR DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE L ENG SHORTLY AFTER STARTING ENGS AT THE GATE (APU WAS INOP). PNEUMATIC AIR; EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL PWR AND; APPARENTLY; PRECONDITIONED AIR WERE ALL ATTACHED DURING START. WHILE ALL CORDS AND HOSES WERE BEING DISCONNECTED AFTER START; THE PRECONDITIONED AIR HOSE WAS INGESTED INTO THE L ENG. THE FIRST INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT WAS A NOTICEABLE VIBRATION IN THE AIRFRAME. WE WERE LOOKING AT ENG INSTS TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE WHEN A GND MAN SIGNALED TO SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT A FIRE OR TORCHING HAD OCCURRED. I SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AT THAT TIME; ASKED FOR EXTERNAL PWR TO BE RESTORED; AND THEN SHUT DOWN THE R ENG. MY FO SIMULTANEOUSLY CALLED FOR FIRE TRUCKS TO RESPOND. I MADE THE APPROPRIATE PA'S AND CALLS TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS; AND WE COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST. BY THIS TIME THE FIRE DEPT HAD ARRIVED. THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO; HOWEVER; AS THERE WAS NO FIRE AFTER THE BRIEF TORCHING UPON INGESTION. JUST BEFORE START A GND MAN HAD ASKED TO DISCONNECT SOMETHING. HOWEVER; HIS SPEECH AND THE NOISE LEVEL WERE SUCH THAT I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND HIS QUESTION. I STILL DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HIM WHEN I ASKED HIM TO REPEAT. I THEN SAID THAT HE SHOULD LEAVE AIR AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTED AS OUR APU WAS INOP; AND WE WOULD; THEREFORE; BE STARTING AT THE GATE. I DID NOT SPECIFY PNEUMATIC OR PCA AIR; JUST 'AIR' AS I RECALL IT. ONE GND MAN WAS INJURED WHEN THE HOSE HIT HIM IN THE ARM DURING THIS EVENT; I WAS INFORMED. USUALLY PCA IS REMOVED JUST BEFORE DEP BY GND PERSONNEL WITHOUT COORD WITH THE COCKPIT. I FIND NOTHING IN OUR FLT MANUAL THAT ADDRESSES WHEN PCA SHOULD BE REMOVED. I HAVE ALWAYS ASSUMED PROCS REGARDING IT WERE THE PURVIEW OF THE GND CREW. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO ASSURE THAT PCA IS ALWAYS REMOVED BEFORE STARTING ANY ENG AT THE GATE. IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TALK TO THE GND MAN TO DETERMINE WHICH ENG TO START AT THE GATE RATHER THAN ALWAYS STARTING THE L ONE FIRST. JUST STARTING 1 ENG AT THE GATE AND THEN THE OTHER ON PUSHBACK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO PREVENT THIS ACCIDENT UNLESS IT WAS THE R ONE THAT WAS STARTED FIRST.

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.