B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Person / Animal / Bird
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
Ramp agent walked directly in front of a running engine to put a late bag in the forward cargo compartment. We had pushed back from gate and had been cleared to start engines. I advised the Headset Operator we would be starting engine number 2. At about 50% N2 during the engine start the Headset Operator advised that they had a late bag. I acknowledged the Headset Operator with an; 'Okay; standby.' My intention was to let the start finish; get starter cutout at 56% N2 and then shut down the engine so that the bag could be placed aboard. At about the time that the engine reached starter cut out I noticed the Master Caution light illuminate. I looked up and saw that the doors light on the system annunciator and the forward cargo door light on the overhead were illuminated. I immediately shut down the Number 2 Engine. I asked the Headset Operator what was going on down below and he stated that one of the wing walkers had taken the bag and placed it in the forward cargo bin. I told the Headset Operator how unsafe I believed the wing walker's actions to be and that he needed to relay that to the wing walker immediately. I then switched over to the ops frequency and reported the incident to them. Ops advised that they would let the Supervisor know. I could not believe someone would knowingly walk in front of a running engine like that.
B737 Captain reported a ramp employee walked in front of the operating Number 2 Engine. Captain promptly shut down the engine.