Captain of an medium large transport air carrier aircraft hit ground cart during taxi after pushback...

Attributes
ACN	253911
Time
Date	199310
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ont
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	253911
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After engine start from a gate pushback, the ground maintenance man who was monitoring start on headset pulled his 'golf cart' vehicle under the nose of the aircraft. He then disconnected the headset. At this time the captain started taxiing the aircraft. The cart was still under the nose, thus striking the cart and causing surface damage to the aircraft skin. The aircraft was stopped within 20 ft. As first officer, I was finishing takeoff data at the start of this ground incident, inserting numbers into the CDU, while monitoring engine start. Faulty communication between ground and cockpit and the unusual, out of sight position of the cart contributed to this ground incident. A more standardized procedure for headset use and other associated functions during engine start are required for safer operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG ACR ACFT HIT GND CART DURING TAXI AFTER PUSHBACK.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START FROM A GATE PUSHBACK, THE GND MAINT MAN WHO WAS MONITORING START ON HEADSET PULLED HIS 'GOLF CART' VEHICLE UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. HE THEN DISCONNECTED THE HEADSET. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT STARTED TAXIING THE ACFT. THE CART WAS STILL UNDER THE NOSE, THUS STRIKING THE CART AND CAUSING SURFACE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT SKIN. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED WITHIN 20 FT. AS FO, I WAS FINISHING TKOF DATA AT THE START OF THIS GND INCIDENT, INSERTING NUMBERS INTO THE CDU, WHILE MONITORING ENG START. FAULTY COM BTWN GND AND COCKPIT AND THE UNUSUAL, OUT OF SIGHT POS OF THE CART CONTRIBUTED TO THIS GND INCIDENT. A MORE STANDARDIZED PROC FOR HEADSET USE AND OTHER ASSOCIATED FUNCTIONS DURING ENG START ARE REQUIRED FOR SAFER OP.

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.