B757 CAPT REPORTS RAMPERS LOADING BAGS AFTER PUSH BACK DURING ENGINE STARTS; WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUSH BACK CREW OR THE COCKPIT.
Synopsis
B757 CAPT REPORTS RAMPERS LOADING BAGS AFTER PUSH BACK DURING ENGINE STARTS; WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUSH BACK CREW OR THE COCKPIT.
Narrative
I INQUIRED FROM TUG DRIVER IF ALL BAGS WERE ON ACFT. HE SAID WAITING FOR 2 BAGS FROM ACR Y. HE SAID WE CAN PUSH AND WAIT FOR THEM PUSHED BACK. I SAID 'NO;' LETS WAIT FOR THE BAGS AT THE GATE. WE WAITED A FEW MINS; THEN TUG DRIVER SAID 'HE DOES NOT THINK BAGS ARE COMING.' I SAID OK WE WILL GET PUSH CLRNC. SOP ETC; ETC; ETC; SO WE THEN PUSHED. ON THE PUSH; TUG DRIVER 'CLRED' US TO START 'BOTH' ENGS. WE PUSHED BACK; STARTED L ENG; AND WAS GETTING READY TO START THE R ENG WHEN OUT COME BAGGAGE HANDLERS; OBLIVIOUS TO THE STATE OF THE R ENG. TUG DRIVER DID NOT STOP THEM FROM APCHING ACFT OR US FROM STARTING R ENG. WE OBVIOUSLY DID NOT START THE R ENG. I QUERIED THE TUG DRIVER; HE THEN REQUESTED TO OPEN CARGO DOOR. I SAID OK. THE PROB IS WITH THE GAME PLAYING HERE WITH RAMP; BAGS AND AN ON TIME PUSH AT ALL COSTS. IF WE HAD NOT OBSERVED RAMPERS APCHING ON R SIDE; OR IF WE WERE MID ENG START; THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE. SUCKED INTO ENG; TORCHING; BLOWN AWAY ETC. THIS IS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE. IT SEEMS 'ON TIME PUSH;' OUTWEIGHS SAFETY PRACTICES. SUGGESTION; BEFORE RAMPERS APCH ACFT AFTER IT IS PUSHED BACK; GET THE TUG DRIVER CONCURRENCE THAT THE CAPT HAS APPROVED OPENING A CARGO DOOR AND IT IS SAFE. TO TOP OFF EVERYTHING THEY CHARGED US WITH THE LATE PUSH (2 MINS) EVEN AFTER WE RESPONDED TO AN ACARS FROM THEM; REPRESENTING THAT ACFT WAS 2 MINS LATE BECAUSE OF WAITING FOR BAGS. ON AN OPERATIONAL NOTE; IS IT CHEAPER TO HAVE AN ENG RUNNING; BURNING FUEL OR TAKE A DELAY AT THE GATE?
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.