Narrative:

I was captain on a B767-300ER due to depart san airport. During taxi out to runway, a flight control indication problem was observed. I continued to taxi to ramp B-1 at the approach end of runway 27. The aircraft was parked on the southeast side of the hold short area heading northeast. There is a gravel parking lot adjacent to this particular ramp area separated by a chain link security fence. Each day there are numerous autos using this lot as a parking place when drivers are at work. The distance from my aircraft and the parking lot is estimated to be 300 ft or less. Since the mechanical problem could not be resolved, I elected to return to the departure gate. Ground control was called and we were cleared to 'back taxi on bravo' the parallel taxiway. We were very lightly loaded with only 51 passenger and a gross weight of 248000 pounds. Less than 35 percent N1 RPM was needed to get the aircraft moving with enough momentum to make the 120 degree left turn. Power was immediately brought back to idle as the turn was initiated. The aircraft was returned to the gate to correct the maintenance problem and then left the gate again in approximately 30 mins on a normal flight. After approximately 1 hour of flight, a message was received on board that 12 autos were jet blast damaged during the time the aircraft was being turned to return to the gate. Airport facility should install blast fence to protect automatic parking lot from jet blast or not allow autos to park in hazardous area. This is third incident involving jet blast damage in this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARS PARKED IN PROX OF TXWY EXPERIENCE JET BLAST ENCOUNTER BY B-767 DURING START OF TAXI IN RETURN TO RAMP.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON A B767-300ER DUE TO DEPART SAN ARPT. DURING TAXI OUT TO RWY, A FLT CTL INDICATION PROB WAS OBSERVED. I CONTINUED TO TAXI TO RAMP B-1 AT THE APCH END OF RWY 27. THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON THE SE SIDE OF THE HOLD SHORT AREA HDG NE. THERE IS A GRAVEL PARKING LOT ADJACENT TO THIS PARTICULAR RAMP AREA SEPARATED BY A CHAIN LINK SECURITY FENCE. EACH DAY THERE ARE NUMEROUS AUTOS USING THIS LOT AS A PARKING PLACE WHEN DRIVERS ARE AT WORK. THE DISTANCE FROM MY ACFT AND THE PARKING LOT IS ESTIMATED TO BE 300 FT OR LESS. SINCE THE MECHANICAL PROB COULD NOT BE RESOLVED, I ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE DEP GATE. GND CTL WAS CALLED AND WE WERE CLRED TO 'BACK TAXI ON BRAVO' THE PARALLEL TXWY. WE WERE VERY LIGHTLY LOADED WITH ONLY 51 PAX AND A GROSS WT OF 248000 LBS. LESS THAN 35 PERCENT N1 RPM WAS NEEDED TO GET THE ACFT MOVING WITH ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO MAKE THE 120 DEG L TURN. PWR WAS IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT BACK TO IDLE AS THE TURN WAS INITIATED. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO THE GATE TO CORRECT THE MAINT PROB AND THEN LEFT THE GATE AGAIN IN APPROX 30 MINS ON A NORMAL FLT. AFTER APPROX 1 HR OF FLT, A MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED ON BOARD THAT 12 AUTOS WERE JET BLAST DAMAGED DURING THE TIME THE ACFT WAS BEING TURNED TO RETURN TO THE GATE. ARPT FACILITY SHOULD INSTALL BLAST FENCE TO PROTECT AUTO PARKING LOT FROM JET BLAST OR NOT ALLOW AUTOS TO PARK IN HAZARDOUS AREA. THIS IS THIRD INCIDENT INVOLVING JET BLAST DAMAGE IN THIS AREA.

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.