B737-800
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 121; Flight Crew Type 1388
Training / Qualification; Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
After aircraft pushback; someone from the ground crew loaded a bag in the forward cargo compartment with both engines running. There was no communication with the flight deck to announce their intentions. We would have shut down the number 2 engine so the bag could be safely loaded. This all occurred prior to receiving 'the salute'.
We were given clearance to start both engines during pushback. We were told to set brakes. Engine #2 started first. Sometime during starting of engine #1- someone on ramp decided to load a bag into forward cargo compartment without our knowledge with engine running. I did not have time to process what was happening before the cargo door was closed. I questioned ramp to what is going on. I was told that a new guy loaded the bag without checking with anyone. I immediately called [Airport Code] operations and advised what happen. I still cannot believe this happened. Someone could have been killed.
B737 flight crew reported that a Ramp Agent loaded a bag into the forward cargo compartment while the aircraft's engines were running.