A FOREIGN STATION GND CREW PUT AN ELECTRIC WHEEL CHAIR IN A CARGO PIT BEFORE FLT AFTER TELLING THE CAPT; WHO INQUIRED; THAT ALL SAFETY STANDARDS WERE MET.

Date: 2007-10 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-hazardous-material-violation

Synopsis

A FOREIGN STATION GND CREW PUT AN ELECTRIC WHEEL CHAIR IN A CARGO PIT BEFORE FLT AFTER TELLING THE CAPT; WHO INQUIRED; THAT ALL SAFETY STANDARDS WERE MET.

Narrative

15 MINS BEFORE DEP I NOTICE 3 RAMP WORKERS IN ZZZ1 CARRYING AN ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR DOWN THE JETBRIDGE STAIRS. I WAVED TO THE STATION RAMP SUPVR TO COME UP TO THE COCKPIT. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS REQUIRED TO CARRY ONE OF THOSE CONTRAPTIONS. HE TOLD ME 'YES CAPT WE HAVE THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED BUT WE ARE TRYING TO FIND SOME ELECTRICAL TAPE TO ISOLATE THE TERMINALS.' I TOLD HIM TO KEEP ME INFORMED AND TO MAKE SURE THE CHAIR WAS ALSO SECURED PROPERLY. 5 MINS LATER HE CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED ME THAT THEY FOUND THE TAPE AND THE WHEELCHAIR WAS PROPERLY SECURED. ABOUT 1 HR OUT OF ZZZ2; I MESSAGED DISPATCH INQUIRING AS TO WHO WOULD PUT THIS CONTRAPTION BACK TOGETHER. I NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY BACK. AFTER BLOCKING IN AT THE GATE; I NOTICED THE CONTRAPTION BEING CARRIED UP TO THE JETBRIDGE. I ASKED A MECH IF THEY PUT THOSE THINGS BACK TOGETHER. HE EMPHATICALLY REPLIED 'NO' AS THEY WOULD NOT WANT TO BE HELD LIABLE. I ASKED BOTH THE STATION MGR AND HIS ASSISTANT IF THEY COULD FIND OUT WHO RECONNECTED THE CONTRAPTION AS THE OWNER PUT IN HER KEY AND DROVE OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS DELIVERED. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD THAT THE RAMP SUPVR WORKING THE ARR SAID THAT NO ONE HAD RECONNECTED ANYTHING AND THE CONTRAPTION WAS JUST PLACED IN THE FORWARD CARGO BIN. SOMEONE BLATANTLY LYING TO YOU OVER A SAFETY PROC IS UNFATHOMABLE.

More incidents for this aircraft family →

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.