 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Company ground personnel hit by aluminum top blown off a caterer's truck by large transport jet blast.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 124977 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msy |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4955 flight time type : 1900 |
| ASRS Report | 124977 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
A caterer allegedly was struck by an aluminum top that was blown off a pickup truck by our large transport's exhaust as we taxied away from the gate. We had performed a powerback from the gate. When the marshaller waived us off, an medium large transport waiting to pull into his gate obstructed our taxi path. We deviated slightly to the right to avoid a traffic conflict. At no time did we use excessive power. We were not aware that there had been a problem until arrival at our destination. According to the station manager, the pickup truck was not parked in the proper place, the caterer should not have been there during our departure, the top on the truck had not been securely attached, and the window had been left open, thus aggravating the effect of any jet blast. My decision to deviate to the right when beginning to taxi was based on the fact that the area to the right was clear, it was the simplest way to alleviate the conflict, and the fact that the ramp area to the left narrowed and was occupied by 2 aircraft. Contributing factors were ramp congestion.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CGP HIT BY ALUMINUM TOP BLOWN OFF A CATERER'S TRUCK BY LGT JET BLAST.
Narrative: A CATERER ALLEGEDLY WAS STRUCK BY AN ALUMINUM TOP THAT WAS BLOWN OFF A PICKUP TRUCK BY OUR LGT'S EXHAUST AS WE TAXIED AWAY FROM THE GATE. WE HAD PERFORMED A POWERBACK FROM THE GATE. WHEN THE MARSHALLER WAIVED US OFF, AN MLG WAITING TO PULL INTO HIS GATE OBSTRUCTED OUR TAXI PATH. WE DEVIATED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A TFC CONFLICT. AT NO TIME DID WE USE EXCESSIVE POWER. WE WERE NOT AWARE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM UNTIL ARR AT OUR DEST. ACCORDING TO THE STATION MGR, THE PICKUP TRUCK WAS NOT PARKED IN THE PROPER PLACE, THE CATERER SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE DURING OUR DEP, THE TOP ON THE TRUCK HAD NOT BEEN SECURELY ATTACHED, AND THE WINDOW HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN, THUS AGGRAVATING THE EFFECT OF ANY JET BLAST. MY DECISION TO DEVIATE TO THE RIGHT WHEN BEGINNING TO TAXI WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE AREA TO THE RIGHT WAS CLEAR, IT WAS THE SIMPLEST WAY TO ALLEVIATE THE CONFLICT, AND THE FACT THAT THE RAMP AREA TO THE LEFT NARROWED AND WAS OCCUPIED BY 2 ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE RAMP CONGESTION.
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.