Narrative:

I was pilot of a lear 25. Due to festivities on the island, the airport was extremely congested. The linemen were parking all aircraft in a tight t-hangar formation. At our 5 O'clock position was a cessna 340, at our 7 O'clock position was a piper aztec. Our aircraft was facing southeast. The 340 and aztec were facing northwest with our tail pointing between their wingtips. There was approximately 15 ft between their wingtips, allowing ample room for our jet blast to go between the other aircraft wings. My copilot and I assessed the situation and both agreed that due to the congestion of the airport and the lack of ground personnel to reposition the aircraft in a timely manner, the most practical thing to do was to depart from our parking spot using minimum thrust. While awaiting our taxi clearance, I was at idle power when a lineman in a fuel truck pulled in front of us, and also assessed the position of our jet blast. After a moment or so, he drove away without any gesture of concern or impending problem. Due to a slight up-slope in the ramp, my initial power selection was not enough to carry us forward and through our turn into the ramp between rows of aircraft. About halfway through the turn, the aircraft began to slow, and I realized I would need to increase thrust to make the turn. There were no linemen around to help guide me at this time. I continued my taxi to the active runway. During my taxi, the tower contacted me and asked me to contact the FBO. I called them, and they informed me that my jet blast may have caused damage to the cessna 340, as I made the turn out of the parking spot. I chose to taxi back to the ramp to check on the problem. The 340's right flap and right aileron were damaged, so I went into the FBO to leave the appropriate information for the 340's owner as the FBO was unable to locate him in town. On return to home base, I called the FBO, and the 340's owner was there. We talked, and he decided that the damage was not enough to be considered substantial or enough to require NTSB notification. In the future, if a similar situation arises, our policy will now be to have the aircraft towed to an uncongested area for start, regardless of lack of personnel or departure delay and will advocate this to other pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C-340, SITTING IDLY BY AT THE RAMP IN A PARKED POS, SUFFERS A JET BLAST ENCOUNTER. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I WAS PLT OF A LEAR 25. DUE TO FESTIVITIES ON THE ISLAND, THE ARPT WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED. THE LINEMEN WERE PARKING ALL ACFT IN A TIGHT T-HANGAR FORMATION. AT OUR 5 O'CLOCK POS WAS A CESSNA 340, AT OUR 7 O'CLOCK POS WAS A PIPER AZTEC. OUR ACFT WAS FACING SE. THE 340 AND AZTEC WERE FACING NW WITH OUR TAIL POINTING BTWN THEIR WINGTIPS. THERE WAS APPROX 15 FT BTWN THEIR WINGTIPS, ALLOWING AMPLE ROOM FOR OUR JET BLAST TO GO BTWN THE OTHER ACFT WINGS. MY COPLT AND I ASSESSED THE SIT AND BOTH AGREED THAT DUE TO THE CONGESTION OF THE ARPT AND THE LACK OF GND PERSONNEL TO REPOSITION THE ACFT IN A TIMELY MANNER, THE MOST PRACTICAL THING TO DO WAS TO DEPART FROM OUR PARKING SPOT USING MINIMUM THRUST. WHILE AWAITING OUR TAXI CLRNC, I WAS AT IDLE PWR WHEN A LINEMAN IN A FUEL TRUCK PULLED IN FRONT OF US, AND ALSO ASSESSED THE POS OF OUR JET BLAST. AFTER A MOMENT OR SO, HE DROVE AWAY WITHOUT ANY GESTURE OF CONCERN OR IMPENDING PROB. DUE TO A SLIGHT UP-SLOPE IN THE RAMP, MY INITIAL PWR SELECTION WAS NOT ENOUGH TO CARRY US FORWARD AND THROUGH OUR TURN INTO THE RAMP BTWN ROWS OF ACFT. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN, THE ACFT BEGAN TO SLOW, AND I REALIZED I WOULD NEED TO INCREASE THRUST TO MAKE THE TURN. THERE WERE NO LINEMEN AROUND TO HELP GUIDE ME AT THIS TIME. I CONTINUED MY TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. DURING MY TAXI, THE TWR CONTACTED ME AND ASKED ME TO CONTACT THE FBO. I CALLED THEM, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY JET BLAST MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CESSNA 340, AS I MADE THE TURN OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT. I CHOSE TO TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP TO CHK ON THE PROB. THE 340'S R FLAP AND R AILERON WERE DAMAGED, SO I WENT INTO THE FBO TO LEAVE THE APPROPRIATE INFO FOR THE 340'S OWNER AS THE FBO WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE HIM IN TOWN. ON RETURN TO HOME BASE, I CALLED THE FBO, AND THE 340'S OWNER WAS THERE. WE TALKED, AND HE DECIDED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS NOT ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL OR ENOUGH TO REQUIRE NTSB NOTIFICATION. IN THE FUTURE, IF A SIMILAR SIT ARISES, OUR POLICY WILL NOW BE TO HAVE THE ACFT TOWED TO AN UNCONGESTED AREA FOR START, REGARDLESS OF LACK OF PERSONNEL OR DEP DELAY AND WILL ADVOCATE THIS TO OTHER PLTS.

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.