Narrative:

We were instructed to taxi to and hold short of runway 15. At the hold short line, we needed to perform an engine run- up prior to departure. If we had done so at the hold short line, our propeller blast would have endangered personnel off- loading from an air carrier saab to a waiting bus parked in the commuter parking area about 30 ft behind us. To avoid this potentially hazardous situation, we maneuvered into the far northwest corner of the commuter parking area so that our propeller blast would be directed toward a blast fence installed there. Our aircraft was about 30 ft to the left of the commuter and abeam its midpoint. As we began the required runup, a commuter pilot standing at the bottom of the airstairs waved at us, indicating that we couldn't park there. We completed the runup and departed runway 15 without incident. A look at the dca airport diagram shows this area as designated for commuter parking. Its designs indicate that it was created as an area to pull over so as not to block the taxiway if you need to do an engine runup or hold off to the side awaiting IFR release, like similar areas at the departure ends of runways 33, 36, and 18. Using this area to park commuters and perform loading and unloading operations with passenger and baggage or cargo is inviting incidents and injury due to its close proximity to and location aft of the runway 15 hold short line. I recommend that commuter parking be restr to the other designated commuter parking area south of taxiway left along taxiway K, and that the area with the blast fence just off the hold short line to runway 15 be used for its original design purpose -- to hold awaiting release or to perform predep checks without blocking access to runway 15.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GOV BE58 FLC MAKES THEIR RUNUP IN AN EMPTY SECTION OF THE COMMUTER AIRLINE PARKING AREA TO AVOID DIRECTING THEIR PROP BLAST AT SOME DEPLANING PAX IN ANOTHER SECTION OF THE PARKING AREA. THE RPTR FEELS THAT THIS AREA IS THE ONLY REASONABLE PLACE FOR RUNUPS WHILE HOLDING FOR RWY 15.

Narrative: WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15. AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE, WE NEEDED TO PERFORM AN ENG RUN- UP PRIOR TO DEP. IF WE HAD DONE SO AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE, OUR PROP BLAST WOULD HAVE ENDANGERED PERSONNEL OFF- LOADING FROM AN ACR SAAB TO A WAITING BUS PARKED IN THE COMMUTER PARKING AREA ABOUT 30 FT BEHIND US. TO AVOID THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT, WE MANEUVERED INTO THE FAR NW CORNER OF THE COMMUTER PARKING AREA SO THAT OUR PROP BLAST WOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARD A BLAST FENCE INSTALLED THERE. OUR ACFT WAS ABOUT 30 FT TO THE L OF THE COMMUTER AND ABEAM ITS MIDPOINT. AS WE BEGAN THE REQUIRED RUNUP, A COMMUTER PLT STANDING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRSTAIRS WAVED AT US, INDICATING THAT WE COULDN'T PARK THERE. WE COMPLETED THE RUNUP AND DEPARTED RWY 15 WITHOUT INCIDENT. A LOOK AT THE DCA ARPT DIAGRAM SHOWS THIS AREA AS DESIGNATED FOR COMMUTER PARKING. ITS DESIGNS INDICATE THAT IT WAS CREATED AS AN AREA TO PULL OVER SO AS NOT TO BLOCK THE TXWY IF YOU NEED TO DO AN ENG RUNUP OR HOLD OFF TO THE SIDE AWAITING IFR RELEASE, LIKE SIMILAR AREAS AT THE DEP ENDS OF RWYS 33, 36, AND 18. USING THIS AREA TO PARK COMMUTERS AND PERFORM LOADING AND UNLOADING OPS WITH PAX AND BAGGAGE OR CARGO IS INVITING INCIDENTS AND INJURY DUE TO ITS CLOSE PROX TO AND LOCATION AFT OF THE RWY 15 HOLD SHORT LINE. I RECOMMEND THAT COMMUTER PARKING BE RESTR TO THE OTHER DESIGNATED COMMUTER PARKING AREA S OF TXWY L ALONG TXWY K, AND THAT THE AREA WITH THE BLAST FENCE JUST OFF THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO RWY 15 BE USED FOR ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN PURPOSE -- TO HOLD AWAITING RELEASE OR TO PERFORM PREDEP CHKS WITHOUT BLOCKING ACCESS TO RWY 15.

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.