Narrative:

I was told by my chief pilot of this event 5 days after it took place. It was the first that I heard of the event. I was very surprised. As we approached gate at phx; we noticed no ground workers; and no ground equipment near or around our gate area. I stopped on the lead in line about 20 yards from the aircraft parking spot and set the brake. I made a PA for the passenger to please stay seated and buckled due to us having about 20 yards to go once ground operations comes out to park us. At this time a ground operations worker appeared to marshal us in. He appeared hesitant to park us; he did not look comfortable; and he stood off to the captain's left instead of center. We proceeded slowly; and I told the first officer 'to really watch that right side.' the marshaller then gave a very abrupt 'stop' hand sign. He then disappeared off to the captain's left and under the aircraft. No hold brakes sign was given. I had set the brakes; and was looking out of the window for this worker. I also had started the APU earlier since this looked like we might need it. While still looking for ground operations to show a 'chocks in' sign; or confirm ground power; the flight attendant opened the passenger entry door. Sometimes they crack it open; but we could tell she had it full open; due to the noise; and was already deplaning. I guess the operations agent helped open the door. It seemed loud so due to the noise and the fact that the only person we knew who was around the aircraft was last seen on the left; I shut down #1. The APU generator light then illuminated and I bussed up the APU since we still had no ground power; and no sign of our ground worker. At this point I must have felt that #2 was shut down also because I called for the parking checklist. We went through all the items and then I asked the first officer if he would hand it over to the next crew or shut it down if it terminates. I was not in a big rush; but I did want to get over to my deadhead flight back to my base. It was scheduled to depart about 30 mins from the time we set the brake at the gate. Also we had a new hire doing his jump seat time; and I visited with him before leaving. The jump seater left several mins before I did. The first officer was in the cockpit when I left; and later told me that he saw someone signaling him from the ground while looking out of the cockpit. He said they pointed at #2 engine and gave the cut signal. He cut off #2 at that time. At the same time; a ground operations worker came up to the jetway to report this to the pilot. The first officer felt bad about it so he went down to the ramp to apologize. We both are amazed that we could be so out of the loop! Don't open the door until the #1 engine is off. It is very loud; and when you shut it down; it gets very quiet; almost like both just shut down. In my mind I must have felt this. When running the checklist; it would be good to touch the fuel levers in cutoff the way we put our hands on them and say 'idle.' also; ground operations was no help at all. I feel they abandoned us at the gate. I'm at fault here; but people being standard during the parking would have prevented this in my opinion. As pilots we needed to slow down on that last checklist. We did it; and I glanced at the cutoff levers; and somehow let one lever in cutoff fill the 'all is well mode' in my scan. This has got my attention! I; like most of us; work hard to prevent this type of breakdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW COMPLETES PARKING CHKLIST WITHOUT SECURING NUMBER 2 ENG.

Narrative: I WAS TOLD BY MY CHIEF PLT OF THIS EVENT 5 DAYS AFTER IT TOOK PLACE. IT WAS THE FIRST THAT I HEARD OF THE EVENT. I WAS VERY SURPRISED. AS WE APCHED GATE AT PHX; WE NOTICED NO GND WORKERS; AND NO GND EQUIP NEAR OR AROUND OUR GATE AREA. I STOPPED ON THE LEAD IN LINE ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM THE ACFT PARKING SPOT AND SET THE BRAKE. I MADE A PA FOR THE PAX TO PLEASE STAY SEATED AND BUCKLED DUE TO US HAVING ABOUT 20 YARDS TO GO ONCE GND OPS COMES OUT TO PARK US. AT THIS TIME A GND OPS WORKER APPEARED TO MARSHAL US IN. HE APPEARED HESITANT TO PARK US; HE DID NOT LOOK COMFORTABLE; AND HE STOOD OFF TO THE CAPT'S L INSTEAD OF CTR. WE PROCEEDED SLOWLY; AND I TOLD THE FO 'TO REALLY WATCH THAT R SIDE.' THE MARSHALLER THEN GAVE A VERY ABRUPT 'STOP' HAND SIGN. HE THEN DISAPPEARED OFF TO THE CAPT'S L AND UNDER THE ACFT. NO HOLD BRAKES SIGN WAS GIVEN. I HAD SET THE BRAKES; AND WAS LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW FOR THIS WORKER. I ALSO HAD STARTED THE APU EARLIER SINCE THIS LOOKED LIKE WE MIGHT NEED IT. WHILE STILL LOOKING FOR GND OPS TO SHOW A 'CHOCKS IN' SIGN; OR CONFIRM GND PWR; THE FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE PAX ENTRY DOOR. SOMETIMES THEY CRACK IT OPEN; BUT WE COULD TELL SHE HAD IT FULL OPEN; DUE TO THE NOISE; AND WAS ALREADY DEPLANING. I GUESS THE OPS AGENT HELPED OPEN THE DOOR. IT SEEMED LOUD SO DUE TO THE NOISE AND THE FACT THAT THE ONLY PERSON WE KNEW WHO WAS AROUND THE ACFT WAS LAST SEEN ON THE L; I SHUT DOWN #1. THE APU GENERATOR LIGHT THEN ILLUMINATED AND I BUSSED UP THE APU SINCE WE STILL HAD NO GND PWR; AND NO SIGN OF OUR GND WORKER. AT THIS POINT I MUST HAVE FELT THAT #2 WAS SHUT DOWN ALSO BECAUSE I CALLED FOR THE PARKING CHKLIST. WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE ITEMS AND THEN I ASKED THE FO IF HE WOULD HAND IT OVER TO THE NEXT CREW OR SHUT IT DOWN IF IT TERMINATES. I WAS NOT IN A BIG RUSH; BUT I DID WANT TO GET OVER TO MY DEADHEAD FLT BACK TO MY BASE. IT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART ABOUT 30 MINS FROM THE TIME WE SET THE BRAKE AT THE GATE. ALSO WE HAD A NEW HIRE DOING HIS JUMP SEAT TIME; AND I VISITED WITH HIM BEFORE LEAVING. THE JUMP SEATER LEFT SEVERAL MINS BEFORE I DID. THE FO WAS IN THE COCKPIT WHEN I LEFT; AND LATER TOLD ME THAT HE SAW SOMEONE SIGNALING HIM FROM THE GND WHILE LOOKING OUT OF THE COCKPIT. HE SAID THEY POINTED AT #2 ENG AND GAVE THE CUT SIGNAL. HE CUT OFF #2 AT THAT TIME. AT THE SAME TIME; A GND OPS WORKER CAME UP TO THE JETWAY TO RPT THIS TO THE PLT. THE FO FELT BAD ABOUT IT SO HE WENT DOWN TO THE RAMP TO APOLOGIZE. WE BOTH ARE AMAZED THAT WE COULD BE SO OUT OF THE LOOP! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR UNTIL THE #1 ENG IS OFF. IT IS VERY LOUD; AND WHEN YOU SHUT IT DOWN; IT GETS VERY QUIET; ALMOST LIKE BOTH JUST SHUT DOWN. IN MY MIND I MUST HAVE FELT THIS. WHEN RUNNING THE CHKLIST; IT WOULD BE GOOD TO TOUCH THE FUEL LEVERS IN CUTOFF THE WAY WE PUT OUR HANDS ON THEM AND SAY 'IDLE.' ALSO; GND OPS WAS NO HELP AT ALL. I FEEL THEY ABANDONED US AT THE GATE. I'M AT FAULT HERE; BUT PEOPLE BEING STANDARD DURING THE PARKING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS IN MY OPINION. AS PLTS WE NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN ON THAT LAST CHKLIST. WE DID IT; AND I GLANCED AT THE CUTOFF LEVERS; AND SOMEHOW LET ONE LEVER IN CUTOFF FILL THE 'ALL IS WELL MODE' IN MY SCAN. THIS HAS GOT MY ATTN! I; LIKE MOST OF US; WORK HARD TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF BREAKDOWN.

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.