Narrative:

It was hot. 95 degrees OAT and exponentially hotter on the airplane. The aircraft parked at a gate with inoperative ground cooling and intermittent ground electrical connection. Of course the APU automatic shutdown on the inbound crew. Despite the ground air hooked up to the airplane; we could not get it cool enough to stay inside; much less board. About then the ground power quit. Ramp and maintenance supervisors worked with zone; they found a gpu; opened the rear door; and pumped cool air into the airplane. This worked like a charm. Great coordination with cust service and zone helped a lot. Zone ordered new ice (all melted) and promised to have it delivered just before pushback. People were great and understood the drill. We got everyone forward of row 24 loaded while the maintenance guys stayed and held the tube -- then beat a hasty exit and shut the rear door. While cust service boarded the last rows (24 aft); we coordinated with maintenance and ramp to start the #1 engine and get air going. Everything worked like a charm; lots of cooperation despite the heat; except that no one had told the outside catering vendor any of it. So the poor man from catering shows up with the bags of ice and walks right in front of the operating #1 engine; climbs the jetway (how he avoided being sucked in the engine I will never know) and is pounding on the jetway door with the engine running! I spoke to him personally and told him he could not walk out of that jetway door until after the plane had left. He just nodded; smiled; and attempted to exit the jetway door. It took major effort to get him to stop and listen. He did not speak one word of english! I managed to get the cust service guy on the jetway to take personal charge and assure me he would physically prevent the catering man from exiting until we left. What bothered me most about this incident is that I was the only one who cared! All of the ramp and maintenance personnel knew our procedures; so coordination between ramp and maintenance worked -- but they were far enough away they never saw it. There is a major communication disconnect between our employees on the ground/ramp/flight operations and the 'service' employees: cust service; outside vendors; cleaners; etc. None of the service employees has a clue that airplanes are dangerous! They do not understand that engines can kill people; and they think someone is out of this planet for emphasizing safety precautions. We must do something to improve training and coordination. Out sourcing is good on paper; but what is going through our minds to put lots of untrained innocent people in harm's way? I question the legality and safety of putting employees of any employer onto airplanes (cleaners); around airplanes (outside vendors) and not require them to speak english and understand basic safety commands. It is not right; and it is certainly not safe to have people in a dangerous position and not be able to understand the commands of the captain of the airplane. First; they should be properly trained and not in that situation. Second; they should be able to communicate with the trained professionals working there who might be able to save their lives. I will be happy to volunteer to work on a solution to this problem with the appropriate departments.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT RPTS THAT A NON ENGLISH SPEAKING CONTRACT CATERER WALKED IN FRONT OF A RUNNING ENGINE AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROHIBITIVE CAUTIONS.

Narrative: IT WAS HOT. 95 DEGREES OAT AND EXPONENTIALLY HOTTER ON THE AIRPLANE. THE ACFT PARKED AT A GATE WITH INOP GROUND COOLING AND INTERMITTENT GROUND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. OF COURSE THE APU AUTO SHUTDOWN ON THE INBOUND CREW. DESPITE THE GROUND AIR HOOKED UP TO THE AIRPLANE; WE COULD NOT GET IT COOL ENOUGH TO STAY INSIDE; MUCH LESS BOARD. ABOUT THEN THE GROUND POWER QUIT. RAMP AND MAINT SUPERVISORS WORKED WITH ZONE; THEY FOUND A GPU; OPENED THE REAR DOOR; AND PUMPED COOL AIR INTO THE AIRPLANE. THIS WORKED LIKE A CHARM. GREAT COORD WITH CUST SVC AND ZONE HELPED A LOT. ZONE ORDERED NEW ICE (ALL MELTED) AND PROMISED TO HAVE IT DELIVERED JUST BEFORE PUSHBACK. PEOPLE WERE GREAT AND UNDERSTOOD THE DRILL. WE GOT EVERYONE FORWARD OF ROW 24 LOADED WHILE THE MAINT GUYS STAYED AND HELD THE TUBE -- THEN BEAT A HASTY EXIT AND SHUT THE REAR DOOR. WHILE CUST SVC BOARDED THE LAST ROWS (24 AFT); WE COORDINATED WITH MAINT AND RAMP TO START THE #1 ENGINE AND GET AIR GOING. EVERYTHING WORKED LIKE A CHARM; LOTS OF COOPERATION DESPITE THE HEAT; EXCEPT THAT NO ONE HAD TOLD THE OUTSIDE CATERING VENDOR ANY OF IT. SO THE POOR MAN FROM CATERING SHOWS UP WITH THE BAGS OF ICE AND WALKS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE OPERATING #1 ENGINE; CLIMBS THE JETWAY (HOW HE AVOIDED BEING SUCKED IN THE ENGINE I WILL NEVER KNOW) AND IS POUNDING ON THE JETWAY DOOR WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING! I SPOKE TO HIM PERSONALLY AND TOLD HIM HE COULD NOT WALK OUT OF THAT JETWAY DOOR UNTIL AFTER THE PLANE HAD LEFT. HE JUST NODDED; SMILED; AND ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE JETWAY DOOR. IT TOOK MAJOR EFFORT TO GET HIM TO STOP AND LISTEN. HE DID NOT SPEAK ONE WORD OF ENGLISH! I MANAGED TO GET THE CUST SVC GUY ON THE JETWAY TO TAKE PERSONAL CHARGE AND ASSURE ME HE WOULD PHYSICALLY PREVENT THE CATERING MAN FROM EXITING UNTIL WE LEFT. WHAT BOTHERED ME MOST ABOUT THIS INCIDENT IS THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO CARED! ALL OF THE RAMP AND MAINT PERSONNEL KNEW OUR PROCS; SO COORD BETWEEN RAMP AND MAINT WORKED -- BUT THEY WERE FAR ENOUGH AWAY THEY NEVER SAW IT. THERE IS A MAJOR COM DISCONNECT BETWEEN OUR EMPLOYEES ON THE GROUND/RAMP/FLIGHT OPS AND THE 'SERVICE' EMPLOYEES: CUST SVC; OUTSIDE VENDORS; CLEANERS; ETC. NONE OF THE SVC EMPLOYEES HAS A CLUE THAT AIRPLANES ARE DANGEROUS! THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT ENGINES CAN KILL PEOPLE; AND THEY THINK SOMEONE IS OUT OF THIS PLANET FOR EMPHASIZING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. WE MUST DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE TRAINING AND COORD. OUT SOURCING IS GOOD ON PAPER; BUT WHAT IS GOING THROUGH OUR MINDS TO PUT LOTS OF UNTRAINED INNOCENT PEOPLE IN HARM'S WAY? I QUESTION THE LEGALITY AND SAFETY OF PUTTING EMPLOYEES OF ANY EMPLOYER ONTO AIRPLANES (CLEANERS); AROUND AIRPLANES (OUTSIDE VENDORS) AND NOT REQUIRE THEM TO SPEAK ENGLISH AND UNDERSTAND BASIC SAFETY COMMANDS. IT IS NOT RIGHT; AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT SAFE TO HAVE PEOPLE IN A DANGEROUS POSITION AND NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMANDS OF THE CAPT OF THE AIRPLANE. FIRST; THEY SHOULD BE PROPERLY TRAINED AND NOT IN THAT SITUATION. SECOND; THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS WORKING THERE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAVE THEIR LIVES. I WILL BE HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER TO WORK ON A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS.

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.