B737-800
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
During maintenance ETOPS inspection; and fueling operations; as well as general aircraft servicing; the First Officer was observed performing a HF-radio comm check while the aircraft was actively being fueled at the gate. Maintenance log was removed from flight deck for the purpose of performing an ETOPS PDC inspection. [I have noted] a disturbing trend I see happening during my daily ETOPS check. The flight crew is doing a HF radio comm check while ground crews and Maintenance Technicians are in close proximity to the tail of the aircraft and worse during fueling operations. Today I was in the flight deck and observed the First Officer do an HF check while the aircraft was actively being fueled. I commented to the Captain that the First Officer should not be doing that during fueling and he agreed. He tried to stop him but it was too late. The First Officer said 'I looked out my window and it looked clear'. As I walked to my truck I noticed the catering truck was also plane side servicing the aft galley. In other cases; with the maintenance truck parked under the APU I could here the HF comm check bleed through on the am radio which was on in the truck. Again the First Officer said 'I looked and didn't see anyone' please look into this safety issue and put something out for other Maintenance Technician's and ground crews to be cautious when working ETOPS flights with flight crew in the flight deck... The Aircraft Maintenance Manual [AMM] clearly states; HF communication system - system test. Warning: do not operate the HF system while the airplane is refueled or de fueled. An explosion can cause injuries to personnel and damage to the airplane. Warning: make sure that personnel stay a minimum of 6 feet away from the vertical stabilizer when the HF system transmits. RF energy from the HF antenna can cause injuries to personnel.Flight crews have told me in the past that they looked out their window and it 'looked clear to me'. During ETOPS operation at the gate there are many different work groups involved in servicing and preparing the aircraft for ETOPS flight. Not all know the danger associated with transmitting on HF while being fueled except Maintenance and flight crew. If HF-radio comm checks need to be performed at the gate the flight crew must ensure the aircraft is not hooked up to the fuel hose; and that ground personnel are clear of the area under the tail of the aircraft while these checks are being performed. If the same flight crew is taking the same aircraft on an ETOPS flight; why can't they perform the comm check while inbound to the ETOPS departure airport or after pushback from the gate?
During my preflight I inadvertently performed an HF radio check while the aircraft was being refueled. I am fully aware of the warnings concerning transmitting on an HF radio with the aircraft is being fueled; defueled or when personnel are within 10 feet of the vertical stabilizer. Unfortunately; on this occasion I forgot to check if the fueler was there or if catering was at the back of the aircraft. A mechanic was on the flight deck at the end of the radio check and asked if I had transmitted on the HF radio while being refueled. I immediately checked and sure enough; I had. I then checked the aft door lights to see if I had endangered any caterers; I had not; the doors were closed. The fueler did not report anything abnormal.The primary cause of this event was my forgetting to check if the aircraft was being refueled or if we were being catered before using the HF radios. It is my custom to check the HF radios early in the preflight to give maintenance as much time as possible to repair the radios due to the difficulty of getting to the couplers and antenna. This is a habit that is probably a holdover from my previous flying career. I will not forget again.
A B737-800 Maintenance Technician and a First Officer describe the circumstances surrounding an HF radio check while the aircraft is being refueled.