Narrative:

We were at an off-line contract maintenance base picking up an aircraft for return to our main hub. I elected to start all 4 engines due to our short taxi-out and also to confirm everything was ok before leaving since aircraft just came out of a 'C' check. After engine start I followed our normal procedures for cockpit/ground communications and told the mechanic on the headset he was cleared to disconnect. We then completed our after start checklist, the last item being ramp area, clear. The first officer and myself cleared both sides of the aircraft and I had noticed the ground air cart had pulled away to the left. The first officer called ground and we obtained taxi clearance. We were parked about 100 ft or so from the parallel taxiway and being this close to it I was not surprised there wasn't a marshaller or a mechanic to signal us out from our parking spot. After I added power I cleared the left side again as I waited for engine spool up. All was clear to the left. Shortly after aircraft started to roll forward the right main tires ran over the tongue and part of the frame of the power cart. We had felt only a bump and a shudder as forward movement was stopped. As always I think there were several factors that caused this incident. 1) the power cart was 'tucked' up too close to the fuselage for the first officer to see it, even when leaning towards the side window, 2) I cleared the mechanic off the headset before all the equipment was clear. This works as a time saving action in all of our gateways where there are marshallers to signal you out, but not in an off line maintenance base, 3) by not seeing a mechanic give us a thumbs up signal, I assumed it was because we were so close to the main taxiway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a DC8. There was no damage to the aircraft. The tires were changed and the landing gear swung as a precautionary check. The flight was on its way in 1 1/2 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAXIES INTO PWR CART.

Narrative: WE WERE AT AN OFF-LINE CONTRACT MAINT BASE PICKING UP AN ACFT FOR RETURN TO OUR MAIN HUB. I ELECTED TO START ALL 4 ENGS DUE TO OUR SHORT TAXI-OUT AND ALSO TO CONFIRM EVERYTHING WAS OK BEFORE LEAVING SINCE ACFT JUST CAME OUT OF A 'C' CHK. AFTER ENG START I FOLLOWED OUR NORMAL PROCS FOR COCKPIT/GND COMS AND TOLD THE MECH ON THE HEADSET HE WAS CLRED TO DISCONNECT. WE THEN COMPLETED OUR AFTER START CHKLIST, THE LAST ITEM BEING RAMP AREA, CLR. THE FO AND MYSELF CLRED BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT AND I HAD NOTICED THE GND AIR CART HAD PULLED AWAY TO THE L. THE FO CALLED GND AND WE OBTAINED TAXI CLRNC. WE WERE PARKED ABOUT 100 FT OR SO FROM THE PARALLEL TXWY AND BEING THIS CLOSE TO IT I WAS NOT SURPRISED THERE WASN'T A MARSHALLER OR A MECH TO SIGNAL US OUT FROM OUR PARKING SPOT. AFTER I ADDED PWR I CLRED THE L SIDE AGAIN AS I WAITED FOR ENG SPOOL UP. ALL WAS CLR TO THE L. SHORTLY AFTER ACFT STARTED TO ROLL FORWARD THE R MAIN TIRES RAN OVER THE TONGUE AND PART OF THE FRAME OF THE PWR CART. WE HAD FELT ONLY A BUMP AND A SHUDDER AS FORWARD MOVEMENT WAS STOPPED. AS ALWAYS I THINK THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. 1) THE PWR CART WAS 'TUCKED' UP TOO CLOSE TO THE FUSELAGE FOR THE FO TO SEE IT, EVEN WHEN LEANING TOWARDS THE SIDE WINDOW, 2) I CLRED THE MECH OFF THE HEADSET BEFORE ALL THE EQUIP WAS CLR. THIS WORKS AS A TIME SAVING ACTION IN ALL OF OUR GATEWAYS WHERE THERE ARE MARSHALLERS TO SIGNAL YOU OUT, BUT NOT IN AN OFF LINE MAINT BASE, 3) BY NOT SEEING A MECH GIVE US A THUMBS UP SIGNAL, I ASSUMED IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE MAIN TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A DC8. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE TIRES WERE CHANGED AND THE LNDG GEAR SWUNG AS A PRECAUTIONARY CHK. THE FLT WAS ON ITS WAY IN 1 1/2 HRS.

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.