Narrative:

During taxi in to an incredibly tight ramp position, and while at all times proceeding slowly, carefully and following the ground signalman's signals, and with cognizance of only using the minimum power required to maneuver the airplane, the jet blast from the #1 engine apparently turned over a transformer or junction box that controled power to the ports 'O call terminal thereby shutting off power and telephone service to that facility. The junction box or transformer is located in an unprotected area that is the center of the radius of a very tight turn to get into the ports 'O call ramp. After making this turn the aircraft must proceed due south for about 200 ft before initiating a 90 degree turn to the parking position. At this time the transformer or junction box is about 100 ft or more behind the aircraft and slightly to the left. During this last turn the aircraft must be almost slowed to a stop due to the confines of the ramp and then turned to the right with steering and power on the left engine to assist in the turn. The jet blast then passes over the area of the transformer or junction box momentarily during this turn. The ground signalman reported that he did not notice anything out of the ordinary during the taxi in, except that as the jet blast passed over the area of the transformer or junction box it slowly turned over onto the ground. I do not know if it was attached to the ground or installed on a post, but it apparently was not properly secured if it heeled over during a normal turn into the parking place with no excessive use of power. All 3 cockpit crew members were surprised to discover that any damage of any kind had occurred during our taxi in at den. The taxi in was routine in all respects except for the fact that it is a very small ramp that requires extreme care and awareness to accomplish properly. We used that care and awareness in taxiing in to the ramp. Even the ground signalman said he noticed nothing out of the ordinary with regard to the taxi in, the use of power, etc. In my opinion this transformer or junction box was not properly secured. It also was not protected in any manner from jet blast although there is a jet blast fence which runs along the edge of the ramp to the left of the aircraft as it taxies south toward the port 'O call terminal. The jet blast fence does not extend far enough to protect the transformer or junction box. Besides not being properly secured in an area that will undoubtedly receive jet blast from taxiing aircraft, this transformer or junction box should never have been placed in such a position without any protection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JUNCTION BOX TRANSFORMER TURNED OVER DUE TO JET BLAST DURING ACFT TAXI INTO GATE.

Narrative: DURING TAXI IN TO AN INCREDIBLY TIGHT RAMP POS, AND WHILE AT ALL TIMES PROCEEDING SLOWLY, CAREFULLY AND FOLLOWING THE GND SIGNALMAN'S SIGNALS, AND WITH COGNIZANCE OF ONLY USING THE MINIMUM PWR REQUIRED TO MANEUVER THE AIRPLANE, THE JET BLAST FROM THE #1 ENG APPARENTLY TURNED OVER A TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX THAT CTLED PWR TO THE PORTS 'O CALL TERMINAL THEREBY SHUTTING OFF PWR AND TELEPHONE SVC TO THAT FACILITY. THE JUNCTION BOX OR TRANSFORMER IS LOCATED IN AN UNPROTECTED AREA THAT IS THE CENTER OF THE RADIUS OF A VERY TIGHT TURN TO GET INTO THE PORTS 'O CALL RAMP. AFTER MAKING THIS TURN THE ACFT MUST PROCEED DUE S FOR ABOUT 200 FT BEFORE INITIATING A 90 DEG TURN TO THE PARKING POS. AT THIS TIME THE TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX IS ABOUT 100 FT OR MORE BEHIND THE ACFT AND SLIGHTLY TO THE L. DURING THIS LAST TURN THE ACFT MUST BE ALMOST SLOWED TO A STOP DUE TO THE CONFINES OF THE RAMP AND THEN TURNED TO THE R WITH STEERING AND PWR ON THE L ENG TO ASSIST IN THE TURN. THE JET BLAST THEN PASSES OVER THE AREA OF THE TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX MOMENTARILY DURING THIS TURN. THE GND SIGNALMAN RPTED THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY DURING THE TAXI IN, EXCEPT THAT AS THE JET BLAST PASSED OVER THE AREA OF THE TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX IT SLOWLY TURNED OVER ONTO THE GND. I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE GND OR INSTALLED ON A POST, BUT IT APPARENTLY WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED IF IT HEELED OVER DURING A NORMAL TURN INTO THE PARKING PLACE WITH NO EXCESSIVE USE OF PWR. ALL 3 COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS WERE SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT ANY DAMAGE OF ANY KIND HAD OCCURRED DURING OUR TAXI IN AT DEN. THE TAXI IN WAS ROUTINE IN ALL RESPECTS EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT IS A VERY SMALL RAMP THAT REQUIRES EXTREME CARE AND AWARENESS TO ACCOMPLISH PROPERLY. WE USED THAT CARE AND AWARENESS IN TAXIING IN TO THE RAMP. EVEN THE GND SIGNALMAN SAID HE NOTICED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH REGARD TO THE TAXI IN, THE USE OF PWR, ETC. IN MY OPINION THIS TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. IT ALSO WAS NOT PROTECTED IN ANY MANNER FROM JET BLAST ALTHOUGH THERE IS A JET BLAST FENCE WHICH RUNS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RAMP TO THE L OF THE ACFT AS IT TAXIES S TOWARD THE PORT 'O CALL TERMINAL. THE JET BLAST FENCE DOES NOT EXTEND FAR ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX. BESIDES NOT BEING PROPERLY SECURED IN AN AREA THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY RECEIVE JET BLAST FROM TAXIING ACFT, THIS TRANSFORMER OR JUNCTION BOX SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PLACED IN SUCH A POS WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION.

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.