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Captain reports skin damage to external start air door; apparently the result of a failure to properly secure it after engine start.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 796735 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | CRJ 900 (all) Canadair Regional Jet 900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground other : post flight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 796735 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 2 grnd crew |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
After getting off the aircraft; the ground crew notified me there was some damage to the aircraft probably caused by the ZZZ ground crew failing to close the external air door after removing the air in ZZZ. The low pressure air door was open and there were several scratches and nicks trailing behind the door. The scratches were caused by the cap flapping in the wind until the cord broke and the cap went flying off I assume. At that point I notified maintenance and dispatch. The only way I can explain the damage was that the ZZZ ground crew did not put the cap on the low pressure air or close the door covering the air connection. There is no indication in the cockpit telling you that the door is closed so there is no way to know the position of the door. I don't know the ramp procedures but there must be a procedure to close and lock the low pressure door after the nose is disconnected. There is not much that could be done from a pilot's perspective.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT REPORTS SKIN DAMAGE TO EXTERNAL START AIR DOOR; APPARENTLY THE RESULT OF A FAILURE TO PROPERLY SECURE IT AFTER ENGINE START.
Narrative: AFTER GETTING OFF THE ACFT; THE GND CREW NOTIFIED ME THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE ACFT PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE ZZZ GND CREW FAILING TO CLOSE THE EXTERNAL AIR DOOR AFTER REMOVING THE AIR IN ZZZ. THE LOW PRESSURE AIR DOOR WAS OPEN AND THERE WERE SEVERAL SCRATCHES AND NICKS TRAILING BEHIND THE DOOR. THE SCRATCHES WERE CAUSED BY THE CAP FLAPPING IN THE WIND UNTIL THE CORD BROKE AND THE CAP WENT FLYING OFF I ASSUME. AT THAT POINT I NOTIFIED MAINT AND DISPATCH. THE ONLY WAY I CAN EXPLAIN THE DAMAGE WAS THAT THE ZZZ GND CREW DID NOT PUT THE CAP ON THE LOW PRESSURE AIR OR CLOSE THE DOOR COVERING THE AIR CONNECTION. THERE IS NO INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT TELLING YOU THAT THE DOOR IS CLOSED SO THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW THE POS OF THE DOOR. I DON'T KNOW THE RAMP PROCS BUT THERE MUST BE A PROC TO CLOSE AND LOCK THE LOW PRESSURE DOOR AFTER THE NOSE IS DISCONNECTED. THERE IS NOT MUCH THAT COULD BE DONE FROM A PLT'S PERSPECTIVE.
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.