Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Returned To Gate
Human Factors; Aircraft; Procedure
After pushback the FO called Ground to request taxi. After Ground gave us a taxi clearance; another company aircraft waiting behind us informed us that our fueling panel cover was unsecured and flapping in the prop wash. Ground canceled our taxi clearance and we moved out of the way for the other aircraft to be able to exit. I told the FO to contact ops and let them know we had an open panel and either needed to return to the gate to resecure the panel or go to an area off the taxiway for resecuring. Ops told us to contact ramp control for a gate. I contacted ramp and told them we were returning to our gate for the panel and they informed us that someone in a fuel manager truck was already at our aircraft and resecuring the panel as we spoke. I queried the Ramp Controller to clarify that there was a person standing under our running engine with the prop out of start/feather and he said yes. Soon enough; a fueling pickup truck drove by with a man giving us a thumbs up. I told ramp control he should not have approached the aircraft in that manner and that I still wanted to return to the gate to verify the panel was secure myself. We returned to the gate and I exited the aircraft and verified the panel was secure and we departed. Initial notification was from a company aircraft of the open panel and then ramp control informing us of the person approaching our aircraft.
We were returning to the gate mainly because this was going to require shutting both engines down. The Number 2 engine so they could shut the fuel door and Number 1 engine so the Captain could get out and check it.
Dash-8 flight crew reported a fueling panel cover was unsecured while on taxi out. A person came out in a truck to secure the panel without informing the crew and the engines still running.