A line mechanic reports his concern about both pilots leaving the cockpit while he was performing a ...

Narrative:

After changing a cockpit trim air valve; an engine run was required to verify the fix. I went up to the cockpit where I found captain and first officer in their seats. I told them we replaced the valve and would need to run the engine. The plane was already loaded and captain jumped out of his seat and stated he would not run the engine. I said I would. I sat down and started to setup the cockpit for the run. First officer was still in his seat. Just prior to engine start first officer got up and was standing behind me or so I thought. I started the engine and when I turned around to tell first officer the valve was good he was not there. First officer had left the cockpit without saying he would not be there for the engine run. I immediately shut down the engine and found both pilots out in the jetbridge. When I questioned about why they left they said it wasn't their responsibility to run the engine; and I stated 'maybe not but you knew I was going to run the engine and you walked off the aircraft knowing you were setting me up.' he shrugged his shoulders and walked off. I feel when first officer walked off without advising me; he was setting me up to make a point to the company. More importantly I think he compromised the safety of all the passenger and crew onboard whom assume they were in a safe environment while they were onboard. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he felt the first officer should have at least remained in the vicinity of the cockpit during the engine run; in case some event requiring an emergency procedure involving passengers or cabin crew might happen. Reporter stated he was told later; he should have formally asked the first officer; if the first officer was willing to accept responsibility of the cabin crew and passengers during the engine run. If the first officer refused; then reporter would be required to have the entire cabin off-loaded.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LINE MECHANIC REPORTS HIS CONCERN ABOUT BOTH PILOTS LEAVING THE COCKPIT WHILE HE WAS PERFORMING A REQUIRED ENG RUN WITH CABIN CREW AND A FULL LOAD OF PASSENGERS ONBOARD AN AIRBUS A319.

Narrative: AFTER CHANGING A COCKPIT TRIM AIR VALVE; AN ENG RUN WAS REQUIRED TO VERIFY THE FIX. I WENT UP TO THE COCKPIT WHERE I FOUND CAPT AND FO IN THEIR SEATS. I TOLD THEM WE REPLACED THE VALVE AND WOULD NEED TO RUN THE ENG. THE PLANE WAS ALREADY LOADED AND CAPT JUMPED OUT OF HIS SEAT AND STATED HE WOULD NOT RUN THE ENG. I SAID I WOULD. I SAT DOWN AND STARTED TO SETUP THE COCKPIT FOR THE RUN. FO WAS STILL IN HIS SEAT. JUST PRIOR TO ENG START FO GOT UP AND WAS STANDING BEHIND ME OR SO I THOUGHT. I STARTED THE ENG AND WHEN I TURNED AROUND TO TELL FO THE VALVE WAS GOOD HE WAS NOT THERE. FO HAD LEFT THE COCKPIT WITHOUT SAYING HE WOULD NOT BE THERE FOR THE ENG RUN. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND FOUND BOTH PLTS OUT IN THE JETBRIDGE. WHEN I QUESTIONED ABOUT WHY THEY LEFT THEY SAID IT WASN'T THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO RUN THE ENG; AND I STATED 'MAYBE NOT BUT YOU KNEW I WAS GOING TO RUN THE ENG AND YOU WALKED OFF THE ACFT KNOWING YOU WERE SETTING ME UP.' HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AND WALKED OFF. I FEEL WHEN FO WALKED OFF WITHOUT ADVISING ME; HE WAS SETTING ME UP TO MAKE A POINT TO THE COMPANY. MORE IMPORTANTLY I THINK HE COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF ALL THE PAX AND CREW ONBOARD WHOM ASSUME THEY WERE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHILE THEY WERE ONBOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE FELT THE FIRST OFFICER SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST REMAINED IN THE VICINITY OF THE COCKPIT DURING THE ENGINE RUN; IN CASE SOME EVENT REQUIRING AN EMERGENCY PROCEDURE INVOLVING PASSENGERS OR CABIN CREW MIGHT HAPPEN. REPORTER STATED HE WAS TOLD LATER; HE SHOULD HAVE FORMALLY ASKED THE FO; IF THE FO WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CABIN CREW AND PASSENGERS DURING THE ENGINE RUN. IF THE FO REFUSED; THEN REPORTER WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE CABIN OFF-LOADED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Attributes
ACN	790547
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
ASRS Report	790547
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

A line mechanic reports his concern about both pilots leaving the cockpit while he was performing a required engine run with cabin crew and a full load of passengers onboard an airbus A319.