Narrative:

We landed in mia as the heavy rain finished engulfing the field. The approach end of runway 30 was the last relatively clear spot and we used it to land on. We were likely the last arrival for a while. After rolling out and turning off; we saw the lightning and heard the thunder; indicating that this was not just heavy rain; but a thunderstorm and one with significant cloud-to-ground lightning. It made sense that no one was moving and that our gate was occupied. A few mins later; we were assigned to the next door gate which was open; and cleared in by ramp control. I asked how that was possible; since I assumed that the ramp is closed. He replied that the ramp was open and that I should taxi in. I asked how it was possible that the ramp was open; since I had seen numerous lightning strikes on and near the airport property. He told me that didn't matter; and that since they did not have a lightning detector anyway; that the ramp was open and I was cleared in. He also reminded me that the gates in question are self-park and that I could send for an agent to bring up the jetbridge after I parked. A reasonable thing; I thought; so we headed in. I found it interesting that less than 1 min after our exchange in which I told him that there were lightning strikes on the field; he finally made the announcement that the ramp was closed. I was appalled that he had to be shamed into closing the ramp. It was clear from his tone that he did not want to. But wait -- it gets worse. Upon approaching; the self-park system showed 'wait; apron blocked' and there were baggage containers on trailers in the way. When ramp controller saw us stop; he asked if the containers were the problem. I replied that they were; in addition to the 'apron blocked' message. He said he would get someone out there to move the trailers. This was in the middle of what turned out to be a level 5 thunderstorm; with visible nearby cloud-to-ground lightning strikes more than once a min; and after he had been informed of it and had just closed the ramp moments before. I was incredulous. I asked how he could consider sending anyone out there in such dangerous conditions and he replied 'it's not a problem; they are management' indicating that he believed the problem was with the fleet service contract -- not basic safety considerations. Sure enough; moments later a guy in street clothes; a hooded rain parka; and a radio comes out to try to move the 2 containers manually. So; here is someone out in lightning conditions so dangerous that we suspend the operation of the airline in order to protect our people; out in the open; standing in water; grabbing the metal tongue of a cart on which is placed metal containers; and moving those carts. I have lost count of the number of ways in which that man's life was in jeopardy. What was he thinking? What was the ramp manager thinking? What kind of attitude does this demonstrate on behalf of the mia ramp management towards safety and the lives of our people? The answers to these questions; based on this incident; are not very pretty. Unless changed; and soon; this wanton disregard for safety and for our people will get someone killed. It is uncalled for; unsafe; and violates even our own standards here. I cannot imagine that this is reflective of the attitude and approach of the airline's management; but if it is; we're in serious trouble.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT COMMENTS THAT DURING A LEVEL 5 TSTM RAMP PERSONNEL ARE ON THE RAMP CLOSED BECAUSE OF LIGHTNING WITH MGMT APPROVAL.

Narrative: WE LANDED IN MIA AS THE HVY RAIN FINISHED ENGULFING THE FIELD. THE APCH END OF RWY 30 WAS THE LAST RELATIVELY CLR SPOT AND WE USED IT TO LAND ON. WE WERE LIKELY THE LAST ARR FOR A WHILE. AFTER ROLLING OUT AND TURNING OFF; WE SAW THE LIGHTNING AND HEARD THE THUNDER; INDICATING THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST HVY RAIN; BUT A TSTM AND ONE WITH SIGNIFICANT CLOUD-TO-GND LIGHTNING. IT MADE SENSE THAT NO ONE WAS MOVING AND THAT OUR GATE WAS OCCUPIED. A FEW MINS LATER; WE WERE ASSIGNED TO THE NEXT DOOR GATE WHICH WAS OPEN; AND CLRED IN BY RAMP CTL. I ASKED HOW THAT WAS POSSIBLE; SINCE I ASSUMED THAT THE RAMP IS CLOSED. HE REPLIED THAT THE RAMP WAS OPEN AND THAT I SHOULD TAXI IN. I ASKED HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE RAMP WAS OPEN; SINCE I HAD SEEN NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES ON AND NEAR THE ARPT PROPERTY. HE TOLD ME THAT DIDN'T MATTER; AND THAT SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE A LIGHTNING DETECTOR ANYWAY; THAT THE RAMP WAS OPEN AND I WAS CLRED IN. HE ALSO REMINDED ME THAT THE GATES IN QUESTION ARE SELF-PARK AND THAT I COULD SEND FOR AN AGENT TO BRING UP THE JETBRIDGE AFTER I PARKED. A REASONABLE THING; I THOUGHT; SO WE HEADED IN. I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT LESS THAN 1 MIN AFTER OUR EXCHANGE IN WHICH I TOLD HIM THAT THERE WERE LIGHTNING STRIKES ON THE FIELD; HE FINALLY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE RAMP WAS CLOSED. I WAS APPALLED THAT HE HAD TO BE SHAMED INTO CLOSING THE RAMP. IT WAS CLR FROM HIS TONE THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO. BUT WAIT -- IT GETS WORSE. UPON APCHING; THE SELF-PARK SYS SHOWED 'WAIT; APRON BLOCKED' AND THERE WERE BAGGAGE CONTAINERS ON TRAILERS IN THE WAY. WHEN RAMP CTLR SAW US STOP; HE ASKED IF THE CONTAINERS WERE THE PROB. I REPLIED THAT THEY WERE; IN ADDITION TO THE 'APRON BLOCKED' MESSAGE. HE SAID HE WOULD GET SOMEONE OUT THERE TO MOVE THE TRAILERS. THIS WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A LEVEL 5 TSTM; WITH VISIBLE NEARBY CLOUD-TO-GND LIGHTNING STRIKES MORE THAN ONCE A MIN; AND AFTER HE HAD BEEN INFORMED OF IT AND HAD JUST CLOSED THE RAMP MOMENTS BEFORE. I WAS INCREDULOUS. I ASKED HOW HE COULD CONSIDER SENDING ANYONE OUT THERE IN SUCH DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND HE REPLIED 'IT'S NOT A PROB; THEY ARE MGMNT' INDICATING THAT HE BELIEVED THE PROB WAS WITH THE FLEET SVC CONTRACT -- NOT BASIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. SURE ENOUGH; MOMENTS LATER A GUY IN STREET CLOTHES; A HOODED RAIN PARKA; AND A RADIO COMES OUT TO TRY TO MOVE THE 2 CONTAINERS MANUALLY. SO; HERE IS SOMEONE OUT IN LIGHTNING CONDITIONS SO DANGEROUS THAT WE SUSPEND THE OP OF THE AIRLINE IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE; OUT IN THE OPEN; STANDING IN WATER; GRABBING THE METAL TONGUE OF A CART ON WHICH IS PLACED METAL CONTAINERS; AND MOVING THOSE CARTS. I HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH THAT MAN'S LIFE WAS IN JEOPARDY. WHAT WAS HE THINKING? WHAT WAS THE RAMP MGR THINKING? WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE DOES THIS DEMONSTRATE ON BEHALF OF THE MIA RAMP MGMNT TOWARDS SAFETY AND THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE? THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS; BASED ON THIS INCIDENT; ARE NOT VERY PRETTY. UNLESS CHANGED; AND SOON; THIS WANTON DISREGARD FOR SAFETY AND FOR OUR PEOPLE WILL GET SOMEONE KILLED. IT IS UNCALLED FOR; UNSAFE; AND VIOLATES EVEN OUR OWN STANDARDS HERE. I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF THE ATTITUDE AND APPROACH OF THE AIRLINE'S MGMNT; BUT IF IT IS; WE'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.

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.