A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 9000; Flight Crew Type 6000
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter FOD
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
We were reassigned to an aircraft that had an inop APU.  Boarding was complete and the Captain and I completed the preflight and push-back checklists.  I then ran the ground air start checklist referencing the QRH.  The Captain coordinated with ground personnel for engine start and high pressure air to be turned on.  Ground Personnel started the high pressure air and cleared us to start engine #1.  I started engine #1 per the ground start checklist and after stabilization and power transfer to the engine #1 generator; I completed the cleanup items on the checklist.  The Captain then instructed ground personnel to remove the high pressure air hose and ground power.  Moments later we heard a large bang and the aircraft started to shake violently.  I realized that something had been ingested into the #1 engine and immediately shut it down which also cut power to the aircraft.  Ground personnel had no communication with us for the next few minutes.  After reestablishing communication we instructed them to reconnect ground power and I called operations to have them bring the jet bridge back to deplane the passengers.  Further investigation showed that the ground personnel failed to remove the PC Air hose from the aircraft prior to clearing the #1 engine start; causing it to be sucked into the engine.  Passengers were deplaned uneventfully and no injuries to passengers or ground personnel were noted.
During flight planning discovered that there was a plane change due to a previous refusal of plane due to an inop apu and previous history with the apu. I decided that we could operate safely with an inop/ mel apu and released the flight in Sabre. Proceeded to gate with FO and arrived at gate and saw customer service boarding the plane. We did our pre flight checks and loaded the flight plan into the fms.15 minutes before scheduled departure a ramper asked if he could disconnect ground power. The first officer went down to remind him that the apu was inop.Customer service closed the door and we reminded him that it he needed to keep the jetway connected for electric power until after engine one was started.A few minutes before scheduled departure we did the preflight checklist and before push back checklist. The pushback crew advised me via interphone that they were ready and clear for engine start. The FO started number one engine using the appropriate QRC procedure.After number one engine was stabilized; the pushback crew asked if they could disconnect ground electric power. I said yes they were clear to disconnect electric power and ground pneumatic air as well. Almost immediately after the jetway pulled away the aircraft began to violently shake. We tried to ascertain the cause from the ecam and figured something was ingested into the engine. We immediately shut down the engine. Apparently ramp personnel never disconnected the preconditioned air hose and that is what the engine ingested.I didn't hear from pushback crew so I opened cockpit window to tell them to reconnect external power so we could have electric power on the aircraft. We called ops on the radio and requested that customer service immediately return and bring back the jetway as I was very concerned about a potential fire due to the ingestion of the hose.
A319 flight crew describes a preconditioned air hose being sucked into the number one engine when the jet bridge is pulled back; after starting at the gate due to an inoperative APU.