FLC OF WDB HAS ENG START PROB AND NOTIFIES RAMP PERSONNEL THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. 1 GND CREW PERSON APPEARED AND WHEN PROB WAS SOLVED; THE FLC CONTACTED GND AND HAVING BEEN GIVEN CLRNC; ADVANCED THROTTLES TO TAXI. APPARENTLY THE TOW CREW HAD ARRIVED UNDER THE ACFT AND WERE ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT THE TOW BAR. THEY RAPIDLY SCATTERED.
Synopsis
FLC OF WDB HAS ENG START PROB AND NOTIFIES RAMP PERSONNEL THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. 1 GND CREW PERSON APPEARED AND WHEN PROB WAS SOLVED; THE FLC CONTACTED GND AND HAVING BEEN GIVEN CLRNC; ADVANCED THROTTLES TO TAXI. APPARENTLY THE TOW CREW HAD ARRIVED UNDER THE ACFT AND WERE ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT THE TOW BAR. THEY RAPIDLY SCATTERED.
Narrative
AFTER GND CREW RELEASED US WITH A SALUTE AND CLRED THE AREA WE NOTICED ON STARTING #2 WE HAD NO N1 INDICATION AND THEREFORE SHUT DOWN #2. WE RESEARCHED THE PROB BOTH WITH MAINT AND THE MEL. IT WAS A POSSIBILITY WE HAD TO BE TOWED BACK INTO THE GATE. SINCE WE WERE AT THE TOP OF THE ALLEY I'D ADVISED COMPANY RAMP ON RADIO OF THE SIT AND OUR POSSIBLE GATE RETURN. MAINT WAS ADVISED AND SOMEONE IN A GO-CART WAS AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK ON THE RAMP WITH A THUMBS UP; THEN LEFT THE AREA. AFTER CONFERRING THE MEL AND MAINT SOMEONE ON THE RADIO SAID HE'D CONFIRMED N1 WAS ROTATING; SO WE ATTEMPTED ANOTHER START. ALL SYS WERE OK; N1 ROTATION. WE THEN ADVISED RAMP AND WENT OVER TO GND. GIVEN CLRNC TO RWY 25R VIA TXWY B; CLRED R/L; CAPT PUSHED UP THROTTLES TO START OUR TAXI. MECH ON GO-CART HAD ARMS EMPHATICALLY IN 'X' POS AND PEOPLE WERE SCATTERING FROM UNDER OUR AIRPLANE. APPARENTLY THE TOW CREW CAME UP UNDER OUR PLANE AND WERE ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT TOW BAR WITHOUT MAKING RADIO CONTACT. SINCE WE WERE BUSY WITH MEL AND MAINT; ETC; WE NEVER SAW THEM APCH THE ACFT. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING WE; AS A CREW; COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. I DO BELIEVE THE FIRST THING ANY GND CREW CAN DO WHEN THEY APCH AN ACFT IS TO ESTABLISH COMS -- EITHER VIA HEADSET OR VISUALLY. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT!
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.