Narrative:

On taxi-in at stt, I briefed the captain to use 2 engine taxi due to air carrier ground handling parking empty baggage carts directly behind where we park. When we taxied in using idle power without stopping in the turn to the gate, the combined wind plus exhaust of the engines blew some carts up onto the dike and 1 into the bay. Ground control asked us if we had to use so much thrust to get into the gate. We told them we had used only idle power. A mia based air carrier inspector, line checking an air carrier crew, also came into the cockpit and accused us of using excessive thrust. We had never advanced either engine over 3/4 of an engine throttle width from the idle stop. Contributing factors were: 1) the wind was blowing the same direction as our exhaust. 2) the wind was sped up by blowing over our aircraft and others parked close by. 3) the dike behind the carts created a venturi effect, lifting carts into the air. 4) the carts were in an area that they were not supposed to be located. 5) the carts were not secured to a trailer, but sitting on the ground. 6) the carts were left open on 1 side, which allowed the air to catch them in the exhaust thrust easier. I reported all of the above to the acting station manager, who told us 'not to worry about it, we were not the first to do this, and the carts were supposed to have been placed about 100 yards southeast of that location.' the mia FAA aci reported to FAA inspector (atl large transport assistant FAA poi) about the incident. I have talked with FAA inspector and he implied that probably nothing would come of it.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ACFT JET BLAST DAMAGED GND BAGGAGE CARTS DURING TAXI TO PARKING.

Narrative: ON TAXI-IN AT STT, I BRIEFED THE CAPT TO USE 2 ENG TAXI DUE TO ACR GND HANDLING PARKING EMPTY BAGGAGE CARTS DIRECTLY BEHIND WHERE WE PARK. WHEN WE TAXIED IN USING IDLE PWR WITHOUT STOPPING IN THE TURN TO THE GATE, THE COMBINED WIND PLUS EXHAUST OF THE ENGS BLEW SOME CARTS UP ONTO THE DIKE AND 1 INTO THE BAY. GND CTL ASKED US IF WE HAD TO USE SO MUCH THRUST TO GET INTO THE GATE. WE TOLD THEM WE HAD USED ONLY IDLE PWR. A MIA BASED ACR INSPECTOR, LINE CHKING AN ACR CREW, ALSO CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ACCUSED US OF USING EXCESSIVE THRUST. WE HAD NEVER ADVANCED EITHER ENG OVER 3/4 OF AN ENG THROTTLE WIDTH FROM THE IDLE STOP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) THE WIND WAS BLOWING THE SAME DIRECTION AS OUR EXHAUST. 2) THE WIND WAS SPED UP BY BLOWING OVER OUR ACFT AND OTHERS PARKED CLOSE BY. 3) THE DIKE BEHIND THE CARTS CREATED A VENTURI EFFECT, LIFTING CARTS INTO THE AIR. 4) THE CARTS WERE IN AN AREA THAT THEY WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LOCATED. 5) THE CARTS WERE NOT SECURED TO A TRAILER, BUT SITTING ON THE GND. 6) THE CARTS WERE L OPEN ON 1 SIDE, WHICH ALLOWED THE AIR TO CATCH THEM IN THE EXHAUST THRUST EASIER. I RPTED ALL OF THE ABOVE TO THE ACTING STATION MGR, WHO TOLD US 'NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, WE WERE NOT THE FIRST TO DO THIS, AND THE CARTS WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN PLACED ABOUT 100 YARDS SE OF THAT LOCATION.' THE MIA FAA ACI RPTED TO FAA INSPECTOR (ATL LGT ASSISTANT FAA POI) ABOUT THE INCIDENT. I HAVE TALKED WITH FAA INSPECTOR AND HE IMPLIED THAT PROBABLY NOTHING WOULD COME OF IT.

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.