ATTEMPTING TO MEET HIS SCHEDULE; AN ATR 72 PLT ENGAGED #2 ENG STARTER WITH A GND PERSON NEAR THE PROP. STARTER DISENGAGED WHEN PERSON WAS SEEN.

Narrative

WE FINALLY GOT OUR OPPORTUNITY TO START THE #2 ENG WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE SVC DOOR AT DEP TIME. WE HAD ALSO JUST RECEIVED THE LOAD SHEET. IT WAS CLR THAT WE WERE GOING TO TAKE A DELAY SO I WAS ANXIOUS TO GET THE ENGS GOING. I CALLED; 'CLR ON #2?' AND THE FO RESPONDED; BUT; IN MY HASTE; I HAD ALREADY ENGAGED THE STARTED WHEN IT REGISTERED THAT HIS REPLY HAD BEEN; 'NO.' I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE ENG START SELECTOR TO 'OFF/START ABORT.' THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED APPROX 2 SECONDS. THE FO SAID THAT HE DID NOT OBSERVE THE PROP TO HAVE MOVED. HE SAID THE AREA WAS NOT CLR; BECAUSE A GND PERSON (PROBABLY THE MAN WHO HAD JUST CLOSED THE SVC DOOR) HAD BEEN WALKING TOO CLOSE TO THE ENG (ALTHOUGH NOT DIRECTLY TOWARD THE PROP ARC). GIVEN ON-TIME PERFORMANCE PRESSURES; I LET MYSELF BECOME TOO FOCUSED ON GETTING THINGS DONE QUICKLY AND NOT FOCUSED ENOUGH ON GETTING THINGS DONE SAFELY. I CAUGHT MY OWN MISTAKE. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT HEARD 'CLR;' AND VERIFIED THAT WITH THE OTHER PLT. THE STARTER WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. ENG START WAS COMPLETED WHEN THE AREA WAS CLR. THERE IS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF EXTERNAL CTLS THAT CAN BE APPLIED THAT ARE NOT ALREADY IN PLACE. THIS IS A MATTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL FLT CREW MEMBER REASSESSING HIS PERFORMANCE AND PRIORITIES THEN MAKING THE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIONS IN HIS APCH TO THE TASKS AT HAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS CHIEF PLT CALLED HIM IN AND ASKED HIM IF HE HAD A PROB BECAUSE HIS CONSCIENTIOUS APCH TO FLYING HAS CAUSED DELAYS AND WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO ACCEPT AN ACFT THAT IS NOT READY FOR FLT EVEN IF THAT MEANS TAKING A DELAY AT AN OUT STATION FOR MAINT. THE CHIEF PLT SUGGESTED THAT HE XFER TO ANOTHER BASE IN ORDER TO FIND OUT HOW THINGS ARE DONE AT OTHER PLACES. THE RPTR FELT THREATENED AND COERCED INTO CHANGING HIS CAUTIOUS WAYS.