Widebody transport taxi to gate. Ground personnel blown off ladder and injured.

Attributes
ACN	155854
Time
Date	199008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	155854
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Due to jet blast a ground handler was blown off a ladder and injured. I was cleared to taxi on taxiway north to gate due to heavy congestion in the gate areas. The taxi speed was slow. After visibility contact with the ground marshall a left 90 degree turn was completed and taxied straight ahead a few ft and then a right 90 degree turn toward gate. A little power was added in the turns to keep the aircraft moving. At no time do I feel power added was excessive. I feel the gates on either side of taxiway north at stl are too close to heavy widebody transport aircraft to operate in the same area. Heavy jet operations and smaller commuter operations should be kept separated by a large buffer zone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB TAXI TO GATE. GND PERSONNEL BLOWN OFF LADDER AND INJURED.

Narrative: DUE TO JET BLAST A GND HANDLER WAS BLOWN OFF A LADDER AND INJURED. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI ON TXWY N TO GATE DUE TO HEAVY CONGESTION IN THE GATE AREAS. THE TAXI SPD WAS SLOW. AFTER VIS CONTACT WITH THE GND MARSHALL A LEFT 90 DEG TURN WAS COMPLETED AND TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD A FEW FT AND THEN A RIGHT 90 DEG TURN TOWARD GATE. A LITTLE PWR WAS ADDED IN THE TURNS TO KEEP THE ACFT MOVING. AT NO TIME DO I FEEL PWR ADDED WAS EXCESSIVE. I FEEL THE GATES ON EITHER SIDE OF TXWY N AT STL ARE TOO CLOSE TO HVY WDB ACFT TO OPERATE IN THE SAME AREA. HVY JET OPS AND SMALLER COMMUTER OPS SHOULD BE KEPT SEPARATED BY A LARGE BUFFER ZONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.