Narrative:

On descent into dca we received the following ACARS message: 'per ramp manager. FYI: when turning onto taxiway K15 from inner taxiway, you blew over 3 ld containers set up for flight causing damage to a truck also causing minor injuries to a worker and barely missed the 1 engine on a DC10, please acknowledge, dtw control.' upon arriving dca, the captain called ramp manager. Captain first inquired as to the status of the worker and was informed he had cuts on his hand due to broken glass, but was ok. Also 3 ld containers did blow over, 1 resting 15 ft from the engine of a DC10 parked at gate at dtw. Captain then stated that the taxiway in question was probably taxiway K13, not taxiway K15 as was stated in the ACARS message, and that we turned from the inner (taxiway K) at taxiway K13, but did not exceed the allowable thrust of 40 percent N1 during the turn. We pushed back out of dtw from gate. Expecting runway 21C for departure, captain elected to perform a single engine taxi to save fuel, so only the right engine was started. Our taxi instructions were to taxi to runway 21R via taxiway K, taxiway K13, taxiway Y. Our B757 weighed approximately 160000 pounds at start of taxi. The aircraft taxied easily at idle power, we approached taxiway K13 at approximately 8 KTS. During the turn the aircraft started to slow, the captain added power to the right engine to approximately 37 percent N1 throughout the turn. During this turn I was completing the starting of the left engine. The conditions were dark and taxi lights were used. We did not see ld containers next to gate. Upon our return to dtw, we noticed the containers adjacent to taxiway (as shown in drawing). These containers were placed on the edge of the border for taxiway K. At the turn for taxiway K13, the captain expressed concern with the location of these containers with the ramp manager who also expressed concern of the placement, but due to the space constraints on the ramp, they have few other choices. With the placement of empty containers in this position this incident will most likely happen again. Regarding the ACARS message, as a professional pilot, I as well as all other pilots, take my job and responsibilities very seriously. When I hear of injuries or damage to equipment or property, I receive this with great concern. On approach to land, or any phase of flight is not the time to receive this type of message. A call to operations to have the captain call on arrival would have been more appropriate.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JET BLAST ENCOUNTER. TAXIING TFC, A B757 DAMAGES TRUCK, DRIVER SUFFERS PERSONAL INJURY.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO DCA WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ACARS MESSAGE: 'PER RAMP MGR. FYI: WHEN TURNING ONTO TXWY K15 FROM INNER TXWY, YOU BLEW OVER 3 LD CONTAINERS SET UP FOR FLT CAUSING DAMAGE TO A TRUCK ALSO CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO A WORKER AND BARELY MISSED THE 1 ENG ON A DC10, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE, DTW CTL.' UPON ARRIVING DCA, THE CAPT CALLED RAMP MGR. CAPT FIRST INQUIRED AS TO THE STATUS OF THE WORKER AND WAS INFORMED HE HAD CUTS ON HIS HAND DUE TO BROKEN GLASS, BUT WAS OK. ALSO 3 LD CONTAINERS DID BLOW OVER, 1 RESTING 15 FT FROM THE ENG OF A DC10 PARKED AT GATE AT DTW. CAPT THEN STATED THAT THE TXWY IN QUESTION WAS PROBABLY TXWY K13, NOT TXWY K15 AS WAS STATED IN THE ACARS MESSAGE, AND THAT WE TURNED FROM THE INNER (TXWY K) AT TXWY K13, BUT DID NOT EXCEED THE ALLOWABLE THRUST OF 40 PERCENT N1 DURING THE TURN. WE PUSHED BACK OUT OF DTW FROM GATE. EXPECTING RWY 21C FOR DEP, CAPT ELECTED TO PERFORM A SINGLE ENG TAXI TO SAVE FUEL, SO ONLY THE R ENG WAS STARTED. OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO TAXI TO RWY 21R VIA TXWY K, TXWY K13, TXWY Y. OUR B757 WEIGHED APPROX 160000 LBS AT START OF TAXI. THE ACFT TAXIED EASILY AT IDLE PWR, WE APCHED TXWY K13 AT APPROX 8 KTS. DURING THE TURN THE ACFT STARTED TO SLOW, THE CAPT ADDED PWR TO THE R ENG TO APPROX 37 PERCENT N1 THROUGHOUT THE TURN. DURING THIS TURN I WAS COMPLETING THE STARTING OF THE L ENG. THE CONDITIONS WERE DARK AND TAXI LIGHTS WERE USED. WE DID NOT SEE LD CONTAINERS NEXT TO GATE. UPON OUR RETURN TO DTW, WE NOTICED THE CONTAINERS ADJACENT TO TXWY (AS SHOWN IN DRAWING). THESE CONTAINERS WERE PLACED ON THE EDGE OF THE BORDER FOR TXWY K. AT THE TURN FOR TXWY K13, THE CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH THE LOCATION OF THESE CONTAINERS WITH THE RAMP MGR WHO ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN OF THE PLACEMENT, BUT DUE TO THE SPACE CONSTRAINTS ON THE RAMP, THEY HAVE FEW OTHER CHOICES. WITH THE PLACEMENT OF EMPTY CONTAINERS IN THIS POS THIS INCIDENT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN. REGARDING THE ACARS MESSAGE, AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT, I AS WELL AS ALL OTHER PLTS, TAKE MY JOB AND RESPONSIBILITIES VERY SERIOUSLY. WHEN I HEAR OF INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO EQUIP OR PROPERTY, I RECEIVE THIS WITH GREAT CONCERN. ON APCH TO LAND, OR ANY PHASE OF FLT IS NOT THE TIME TO RECEIVE THIS TYPE OF MESSAGE. A CALL TO OPS TO HAVE THE CAPT CALL ON ARR WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE.

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.