B757: Allowed to start the APU when refuelling?
 

In our company manuals we are forbidden from starting the APU whilst refuelling.

Is this the same with all 757/767 (UK)operators?

Our Ops manual is not so specific, I quote:

'If an APU located within the fuelling zone or which has an exhaust efflux discharging into the zone is stopped for any reason it should not be restarted until the flow of fuel has ceased and there is no risk of igniting fuel vapours'

I think the 757 APU is outside the zone and this is certainly the way most people in our company interpret it. In fact, with that in mind, I started the APU during fuelling the other day. Nobody said anything.

However, I have never seen the 'fuelling zone' defined.

With all APU ops that I have experienced (not 75/76), the policy has always been:

The APU shall not be started whilst refuelling. Except in an emergency, the APU shall not be stopped whilst refueling.

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bottums up !

On all the large aeroplanes I have operated, you have not been allowed to start/stop the APU with the aircraft being fueled. One large 'T tailed four engine transport' could be refuelled with the APU providing electrical power, but fuel was not allowed into the fin tank, as this was vented in to an area adjacent to the APU exhaust.

Our Ops manual:

Fueling zone is to be regarded as :

6m radius from any fuelling point, vent, refuel truck, and any ground refuel pit.

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Coug......h

Thanks coug...h

Then it should be OK to start the APU on a 757 then.

on the B737 the only limitation is on use of the HF radios and the Weather radar..... nothin on the APU....

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"on the B737 the only limitation is on use of the HF radios and the Weather radar..... nothin on the APU...."

Not every 'limitation' has to be written down or even verbally specified to be worth adopting. Try it as an airmanship 'limitation' if it applies to your operation.

"Not every 'limitation' has to be written down or even verbally specified to be worth adopting. Try it as an airmanship 'limitation' if it applies to your operation."

If there was a real problem with starting the APU during fueling, the manufacturer would have told you (either in the 'limitations', service bulletins)... Trust them ... they built it.

still if you arent too comfortable with it... dont do it... thats just plain personal comfort.. for airmanship its atleast gotta have a reason... and if you have a good enough reason .... specify it... put it in writting so others may benefit from it (your aircraft manufacturer might appreciate it too!) :)

About manufacturer manuals.

How many revisions have you inserted so far ???

They do not tell you everything.

Something like starting the APU during refuelling is more likely to be an Operator read FOM policy decision.

But there is another one that might have triggered of the APU as a technical issue in this context and that's no electrical switching while refuelling ...


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Smooth Trimmer

In my 757 ops.man.,there is a small Note regarding the fuel load select indicators; "Any power interruption will blank all the Load Select Indicators". Could this maybe too be a reason, not to start/shutdown the APU during refueling?

We are not allowed to start/stop the APU whilst refuelling.. (UK operator)

Hew Jampton

Sorry mate, but it seems to me that far too often 'airmanship' is put forward as justification for a personal SOP or pet theory. :rolleyes:

k some more info i got on this...

we do have a restriction on TRANSFER of power between power sources (apu, gpu) while refueling is on.....

is there a reason why ur company probhits APU start... would be intresting to know...