DOC AIRBUS | AMM A320FGeneral Refuel/Defuel Safety Procedures
TASK 12-11-28-650-001-A
General Refuel/Defuel Safety Procedures
The procedure that follows contains information as specified in the IATA Guidance Material on Standard Into-Plane Fueling Procedures
2. Job Set-up Information
A. Referenced Information
3. Job Set-up
Subtask 12-11-28-941-064-A
Subtask 12-11-28-650-050-A
[Rev.10 from 2021]
2026.04.01 04:29:06 UTC
General Refuel/Defuel Safety Procedures
WARNING:
DO NOT SPILL FUEL ON THE ENGINES OR THE BRAKES. IF YOU SPILL FUEL ON ENGINES OR BRAKES THAT ARE HOT, IT CAN CAUSE FIRES.
1. Reason for the JobThe procedure that follows contains information as specified in the IATA Guidance Material on Standard Into-Plane Fueling Procedures
2. Job Set-up Information
A. Referenced Information
| REFERENCE | DESIGNATION |
|---|---|
| TASK 12-34-24-869-001-A | Aircraft Bonding and Grounding (Earthing) for the Refuel/Defuel or Oxygen Servicing Operations |
| TASK 28-00-00-910-001-A | Fuel Safety Procedures |
| TASK 29-10-00-863-002-A | Pressurize the Yellow Hydraulic System with a Hydraulic Ground Power-Cart |
Refuel Safety AreaSubtask 12-11-28-941-064-A
A. Not Applicable
4. ProcedureSubtask 12-11-28-650-050-A
A. Safety Precautions
(1) You must obey the Fuel Safety Procedures (Ref. AMM TASK 28-00-00-910-001) when you refuel/defuel an aircraft.
(2) Do not let the tanker go near the aircraft until the anti-collision lights have been set to OFF.
(3) Before you start the refuel/defuel procedure, make sure that all the electrical circuits in the fuel system are complete.
(4) Do not spill fuel on the engines or the brakes. If you spill fuel on engines or brakes that are hot, it can cause fires.
(7) Move all the equipment and material which is not necessary for the refuel/defuel procedure out of the safety area.
(8) On the panel 400VU, make sure that the ACCU PRESS on the triple indicator has sufficient pressure. If necessary, pressurize the yellow hydraulic system (Ref. AMM TASK 29-10-00-863-002).
(9) If the Main Landing Gear (MLG) doors are open during the refuel procedure:
(a) If the ramp is flat (no slope):
(13) Before you start the refuel/defuel procedure make sure that these are available:
(15) Make sure that the fuel tanker (or hydrant) contains the correct fuel. The correct fuels are shown in the Flight Manual (Ref. FM 2.04.00).
(16) Make sure that the fuel tanker or the pump unit (if you use a hydrant to refuel the aircraft) is in the correct position.
(17) Make sure that, if there is an emergency, you can move the fuel tanker/pump unit and the other equipment away quickly.
(18) Do not operate the aircraft main engines during a refuel/defuel procedure.
(a) An APU start is not permitted during a refuel/defuel procedure if the APU has failed to start or an automatic shutdown has occurred.
(b) You must complete a normal APU shutdown if a fuel spill has occurred during the refuel/defuel procedure.
(20) Make sure that the electrical equipment you use will not cause a spark.
(21) Do not refuel/defuel in bad weather conditions and electrical storms. Lightning is dangerous.
(22) During the refuel/defuel procedure do not operate the aircraft external lighting.
(23) During the refuel/defuel procedure do not fill the oxygen system or change the oxygen bottles.
(24) During the refuel/defuel procedure do only essential aircraft maintenance and/or servicing that will not cause a spark.
(25) Do not refuel the aircraft if a fire or engine overheat warning is displayed on the flight deck.
(26) You are only permitted to replace or do small maintenance work on radio, radar and electrical equipment during refueling.
(27) You are not permitted to remove, install or test aircraft batteries or related equipment during refueling.
(28) Do not use the microphone on the High Frequency (HF) transmitter during refuel/defuel operations.
(29) Immediately flush away with water, or remove, fuel leakage.
(30) Obey the safety distances for 60 m (196.85 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Stop the fuel tanker 60 m (196.85 ft.) from the aircraft nose while the weather radar operates. Do not operate the fuel tanker/pump unit until you stop operation of the weather radar.
(31) Obey the safety distances for 30 m (98.43 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Aircraft must not be refueled/defueled less than 30 m (98.43 ft.) from the radar or HF radio equipment under test in the aircraft or ground installation.
(32) Obey the safety distances for 15 m (49.21 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Put "NO SMOKING" warning notices around the work area not less than 15 m (49.21 ft.) from the refuel/defuel equipment and aircraft and aircraft tank vents.
(b) Do not connect electrical equipment to a power source less than 15 m (49.21 ft.) away, unless the power source has spark-proof connectors.
(c) Refueling/defueling equipment and aircraft fuel-tank vents must not be nearer than 15 m (49.21 ft.) to a building during refueling/defueling. Make sure the position of the refueling/defueling area cannot let this occur. Because of the design of some buildings, you can do refueling/defueling operations nearer than 15 m (49.21 ft.). Examples of this type of building are nose loaders and aerobridges.
(33) Obey the safety distances for 3 m (10 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Ground power units (GPU's) can be operated when they are put not less than 3 m (10 ft.) from:
When defueling is taking place, the vehicle will be venting and will generate a zone radiating from the tank vent.
(d) Do not operate the items that follow inside the 3 m (10 ft.) zone:
(1) You must obey the Fuel Safety Procedures (Ref. AMM TASK 28-00-00-910-001) when you refuel/defuel an aircraft.
(2) Do not let the tanker go near the aircraft until the anti-collision lights have been set to OFF.
(3) Before you start the refuel/defuel procedure, make sure that all the electrical circuits in the fuel system are complete.
(4) Do not spill fuel on the engines or the brakes. If you spill fuel on engines or brakes that are hot, it can cause fires.
WARNING:
MAKE SURE THAT YOU BOND THE FUEL TANKER TO THE AIRCRAFT. IF YOU DO NOT, AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE CAN OCCUR WHICH CAN CAUSE AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE.
(5) Obey the local regulations for grounding (earthing) the aircraft. If you must ground (earth) the aircraft: - Ground (earth) the fuel tanker and the aircraft correctly (Ref. AMM TASK 12-34-24-869-001).
(7) Move all the equipment and material which is not necessary for the refuel/defuel procedure out of the safety area.
(8) On the panel 400VU, make sure that the ACCU PRESS on the triple indicator has sufficient pressure. If necessary, pressurize the yellow hydraulic system (Ref. AMM TASK 29-10-00-863-002).
(9) If the Main Landing Gear (MLG) doors are open during the refuel procedure:
- visually examine the tires and shock absorbers
- make sure you will have sufficient clearance to the ground after the refuel is complete.
NOTE: AIRBUS recommends that the park brake is set to ON when possible. You cannot set the PARK BRK to ON if you have hot brakes. If you cannot set the PARK BRK to ON, it is possible to continue but you must make sure the chocks are in the correct position.
(11) Make sure that the chocks are in position. The correct position for the chocks are: (a) If the ramp is flat (no slope):
- move the aft chocks away from the tires. During the refuel,the NLG tires will roll aft as the MLG shock absorber compresses
- make sure that the chocks do not touch the MLG tires. The weight of the fuel can lower the aircraft and cause the chocks to be caught under the tires.
- make sure that the chocks down from the tires touch the NLG and MLG tires
- make sure that the chocks up from the tires do not touch the NLG and MLG tires.
NOTE: This makes sure that only chocks on one side of each tire will be caught so that it is easier to release them.
(12) Make sure that there is no equipment below the aircraft which can cause damage. The weight of the fuel can suddenly compress the landing gear and lower the aircraft. (13) Before you start the refuel/defuel procedure make sure that these are available:
- a fueling supervisor or fueling safety person
- the correct fire-fighting equipment
- approved persons to use the fire-fighting equipment.
(15) Make sure that the fuel tanker (or hydrant) contains the correct fuel. The correct fuels are shown in the Flight Manual (Ref. FM 2.04.00).
(16) Make sure that the fuel tanker or the pump unit (if you use a hydrant to refuel the aircraft) is in the correct position.
(17) Make sure that, if there is an emergency, you can move the fuel tanker/pump unit and the other equipment away quickly.
(18) Do not operate the aircraft main engines during a refuel/defuel procedure.
NOTE: In an emergency it is permitted to refuel with one engine running (Ref. FCOM PER-LOD-FUL).
(19) Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) starts or shutdowns are permitted during refuel/ defuel procedures. If it is necessary to operate the APU, the limits that follow apply: (a) An APU start is not permitted during a refuel/defuel procedure if the APU has failed to start or an automatic shutdown has occurred.
(b) You must complete a normal APU shutdown if a fuel spill has occurred during the refuel/defuel procedure.
(20) Make sure that the electrical equipment you use will not cause a spark.
(21) Do not refuel/defuel in bad weather conditions and electrical storms. Lightning is dangerous.
(22) During the refuel/defuel procedure do not operate the aircraft external lighting.
(23) During the refuel/defuel procedure do not fill the oxygen system or change the oxygen bottles.
(24) During the refuel/defuel procedure do only essential aircraft maintenance and/or servicing that will not cause a spark.
(25) Do not refuel the aircraft if a fire or engine overheat warning is displayed on the flight deck.
(26) You are only permitted to replace or do small maintenance work on radio, radar and electrical equipment during refueling.
(27) You are not permitted to remove, install or test aircraft batteries or related equipment during refueling.
(28) Do not use the microphone on the High Frequency (HF) transmitter during refuel/defuel operations.
(29) Immediately flush away with water, or remove, fuel leakage.
(30) Obey the safety distances for 60 m (196.85 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Stop the fuel tanker 60 m (196.85 ft.) from the aircraft nose while the weather radar operates. Do not operate the fuel tanker/pump unit until you stop operation of the weather radar.
(31) Obey the safety distances for 30 m (98.43 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Aircraft must not be refueled/defueled less than 30 m (98.43 ft.) from the radar or HF radio equipment under test in the aircraft or ground installation.
(32) Obey the safety distances for 15 m (49.21 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Put "NO SMOKING" warning notices around the work area not less than 15 m (49.21 ft.) from the refuel/defuel equipment and aircraft and aircraft tank vents.
(b) Do not connect electrical equipment to a power source less than 15 m (49.21 ft.) away, unless the power source has spark-proof connectors.
(c) Refueling/defueling equipment and aircraft fuel-tank vents must not be nearer than 15 m (49.21 ft.) to a building during refueling/defueling. Make sure the position of the refueling/defueling area cannot let this occur. Because of the design of some buildings, you can do refueling/defueling operations nearer than 15 m (49.21 ft.). Examples of this type of building are nose loaders and aerobridges.
(33) Obey the safety distances for 3 m (10 ft.) from aircraft:
(a) Ground power units (GPU's) can be operated when they are put not less than 3 m (10 ft.) from:
- the aircraft filling and venting points
- the hydrant valves and other refuel/defuel equipment when in use.
- the refuel/defuel equipment
- any filling or venting points of the aircraft.
- the filling and venting points on the aircraft
- the refuel/defuel equipment
- the hydrant valve in use for refueling (when applicable).
When defueling is taking place, the vehicle will be venting and will generate a zone radiating from the tank vent.
(d) Do not operate the items that follow inside the 3 m (10 ft.) zone:
- radios
- radio telephones (cell phones or mobile phones)
- pagers
- switches on lighting systems of other than intrinsically safe types.
- carry matches or other means of ignition
- put on foot-wear with exposed iron or steel studs, nails or tips.