Wind blew airstairs into the wing of the airplane as the flight crew was powering into the gate.

Attributes
ACN	321117
Time
Date	199511
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : avl
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 3600
ASRS Report	321117
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	321107
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Just a few feet before block-in, the left wing of aircraft was hit by unmanned runaway portable stairs. At the time peak wind gusts were reported at 35 KTS and blew the stairs into the aircraft. Evidently the emergency brake did not hold as it was found in the set position. The left wing slat sustained 2 dents and a small puncture.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WIND BLEW AIRSTAIRS INTO THE WING OF THE AIRPLANE AS THE FLC WAS POWERING INTO THE GATE.

Narrative: JUST A FEW FEET BEFORE BLOCK-IN, THE L WING OF ACFT WAS HIT BY UNMANNED RUNAWAY PORTABLE STAIRS. AT THE TIME PEAK WIND GUSTS WERE RPTED AT 35 KTS AND BLEW THE STAIRS INTO THE ACFT. EVIDENTLY THE EMER BRAKE DID NOT HOLD AS IT WAS FOUND IN THE SET POS. THE L WING SLAT SUSTAINED 2 DENTS AND A SMALL PUNCTURE.

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.