Narrative:

As we began to taxi to runway 17 for departure, I could see lightning in the distance, west of the airfield. We turned north on taxiway uniform and turned on the radar to take a look at the approaching storm. What we saw on the radar was what appeared to be a strong storm cell approximately 5 mi northwest of the airport. We informed ground control that we were going to wait until the storm passed. After turning the aircraft around, we called operations and informed them that we were returning to the ramp and wanted a bus to deplane passenger. After returning to the ramp and shutting down the engines the storm hit with what must have been a microburst, since there was no report of a funnel cloud. The passenger were still on board. The winds were so strong that the front of the aircraft was lifted off the ground. I instructed the passenger to remain seated since some of them had started to leave their seats. I further had them securely fasten their seatbelts. Baggage was being scattered all over the ramp and then baggage carts (approximately 10) started moving across the ramp at high rates of speed. One cart struck the leading edge of our aircraft wing with such force that the wing bolts at the wing root were sheared off with possible main spar damage. When the storm passed, passenger were deplaned & upon reaching the terminal, 1 passenger complained of possible whiplash. When the storm had passed, we found 8 damaged aircraft, 3 damaged substantially including our aircraft. An small transport was turned around 180 degrees. Following day an operations supervisor said that he heard that peak winds were in excess of 100 mph.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT DAMAGED BY BAGGAGE CARTS BEING BLOWN AGAINST IT BE VERY HIGH VELOCITY SURFACE WIND.

Narrative: AS WE BEGAN TO TAXI TO RWY 17 FOR DEP, I COULD SEE LIGHTNING IN THE DISTANCE, W OF THE AIRFIELD. WE TURNED N ON TXWY UNIFORM AND TURNED ON THE RADAR TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE APCHING STORM. WHAT WE SAW ON THE RADAR WAS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A STRONG STORM CELL APPROX 5 MI NW OF THE ARPT. WE INFORMED GND CTL THAT WE WERE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THE STORM PASSED. AFTER TURNING THE ACFT AROUND, WE CALLED OPS AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE RAMP AND WANTED A BUS TO DEPLANE PAX. AFTER RETURNING TO THE RAMP AND SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGS THE STORM HIT WITH WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A MICROBURST, SINCE THERE WAS NO REPORT OF A FUNNEL CLOUD. THE PAX WERE STILL ON BOARD. THE WINDS WERE SO STRONG THAT THE FRONT OF THE ACFT WAS LIFTED OFF THE GND. I INSTRUCTED THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED SINCE SOME OF THEM HAD STARTED TO LEAVE THEIR SEATS. I FURTHER HAD THEM SECURELY FASTEN THEIR SEATBELTS. BAGGAGE WAS BEING SCATTERED ALL OVER THE RAMP AND THEN BAGGAGE CARTS (APPROX 10) STARTED MOVING ACROSS THE RAMP AT HIGH RATES OF SPD. ONE CART STRUCK THE LEADING EDGE OF OUR ACFT WING WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE WING BOLTS AT THE WING ROOT WERE SHEARED OFF WITH POSSIBLE MAIN SPAR DAMAGE. WHEN THE STORM PASSED, PAX WERE DEPLANED & UPON REACHING THE TERMINAL, 1 PAX COMPLAINED OF POSSIBLE WHIPLASH. WHEN THE STORM HAD PASSED, WE FOUND 8 DAMAGED ACFT, 3 DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY INCLUDING OUR ACFT. AN SMT WAS TURNED AROUND 180 DEGS. FOLLOWING DAY AN OPS SUPVR SAID THAT HE HEARD THAT PEAK WINDS WERE IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.