Narrative:

Crew charged with using excessive thrust for taxi. A catering cart fell onto the wing of the aircraft being catered. Our aircraft was pushed from gate, 3 gates away and pulled forward to gate ahead, approximately 120 yards of catering truck. Started 1 engine after being cleared to start by the push crew and taxied after being cleared by ramp control and the push crew using minimum power (less than 1.20 EPR). There was no notice given of any abnormality by our ramp control or the push crew. On arrival in tpa we were asked to call the ewr chief pilot's office. The md-80 chief pilot was out and I was advised a day later about what had transpired. Blast charts for the md-80 show it highly improbable that the cart was blown by the power used. Written statements by crewmembers on the aircraft impacted indicated that they felt no 'buffeting.' also, a pilot from another carrier gave a written statement as to the absence of buffeting/jet blast. Recommendations - continued emphasis on taxi/breakaway power settings for cockpit crewmembers, also for catering - insure equipment is properly secured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CATERING CART FELL OFF A CATERING TRUCK ON TO THE WING OF AN AIRPLANE 400 FT BEHIND AN AIRPLANE TAXIING OUT ON 1 OF ITS 2 ENGS.

Narrative: CREW CHARGED WITH USING EXCESSIVE THRUST FOR TAXI. A CATERING CART FELL ONTO THE WING OF THE ACFT BEING CATERED. OUR ACFT WAS PUSHED FROM GATE, 3 GATES AWAY AND PULLED FORWARD TO GATE AHEAD, APPROX 120 YARDS OF CATERING TRUCK. STARTED 1 ENG AFTER BEING CLRED TO START BY THE PUSH CREW AND TAXIED AFTER BEING CLRED BY RAMP CTL AND THE PUSH CREW USING MINIMUM PWR (LESS THAN 1.20 EPR). THERE WAS NO NOTICE GIVEN OF ANY ABNORMALITY BY OUR RAMP CTL OR THE PUSH CREW. ON ARR IN TPA WE WERE ASKED TO CALL THE EWR CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE. THE MD-80 CHIEF PLT WAS OUT AND I WAS ADVISED A DAY LATER ABOUT WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. BLAST CHARTS FOR THE MD-80 SHOW IT HIGHLY IMPROBABLE THAT THE CART WAS BLOWN BY THE PWR USED. WRITTEN STATEMENTS BY CREWMEMBERS ON THE ACFT IMPACTED INDICATED THAT THEY FELT NO 'BUFFETING.' ALSO, A PLT FROM ANOTHER CARRIER GAVE A WRITTEN STATEMENT AS TO THE ABSENCE OF BUFFETING/JET BLAST. RECOMMENDATIONS - CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON TAXI/BREAKAWAY PWR SETTINGS FOR COCKPIT CREWMEMBERS, ALSO FOR CATERING - INSURE EQUIP IS PROPERLY SECURED.

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.