Bell 407 helicopter taxiing from the gate may have caused papers to be blown around by the rotor dow...

Attributes
ACN	364800
Time
Date	199703
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Bell Helicopter Textron Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Falcon 20FJF/20C/20D/20E/20F
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	364800
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Our helicopter was taxiing out of the ramp through the only exit. The other aircraft was being svced by mechanics next to the ramp. A piece of paper blew off the maintenance cart and was sucked into the running jet engine of the falcon 20. It was a very windy day and I am not sure that the helicopter downwash caused the paper to blow around, but that's what they said. This was unknown to the helicopter pilot (me) but was reported to me later by the mechanic. I don't know if the engine was damaged, the report of the mechanics inspecting the engine is not available at this time. The mechanic I spoke to did not think there would be any damage. Contributing factors were: 1) the aircraft being svced next to the only exit from the ramp. 2) the failure of the mechanics to secure loose papers and/or other small objects when working near an active taxiway. 3) though I parked the helicopter at the rear of the ramp, well away from other aircraft, there was no other way out of the ramp. Corrective actions: 1) secure papers when working around active txwys or anytime outside when other aircraft are likely to pass by or windy conditions exist. 2) do not service aircraft near active txwys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELL 407 HELI TAXIING FROM THE GATE MAY HAVE CAUSED PAPERS TO BE BLOWN AROUND BY THE ROTOR DOWNWASH. IN ANY CASE, A PIECE OF PAPER WAS INGESTED BY AN ENG ON A FALCON 20. RPTR CANNOT CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS ANY ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: OUR HELI WAS TAXIING OUT OF THE RAMP THROUGH THE ONLY EXIT. THE OTHER ACFT WAS BEING SVCED BY MECHS NEXT TO THE RAMP. A PIECE OF PAPER BLEW OFF THE MAINT CART AND WAS SUCKED INTO THE RUNNING JET ENG OF THE FALCON 20. IT WAS A VERY WINDY DAY AND I AM NOT SURE THAT THE HELI DOWNWASH CAUSED THE PAPER TO BLOW AROUND, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID. THIS WAS UNKNOWN TO THE HELI PLT (ME) BUT WAS RPTED TO ME LATER BY THE MECH. I DON'T KNOW IF THE ENG WAS DAMAGED, THE RPT OF THE MECHS INSPECTING THE ENG IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. THE MECH I SPOKE TO DID NOT THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY DAMAGE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) THE ACFT BEING SVCED NEXT TO THE ONLY EXIT FROM THE RAMP. 2) THE FAILURE OF THE MECHS TO SECURE LOOSE PAPERS AND/OR OTHER SMALL OBJECTS WHEN WORKING NEAR AN ACTIVE TXWY. 3) THOUGH I PARKED THE HELI AT THE REAR OF THE RAMP, WELL AWAY FROM OTHER ACFT, THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY OUT OF THE RAMP. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) SECURE PAPERS WHEN WORKING AROUND ACTIVE TXWYS OR ANYTIME OUTSIDE WHEN OTHER ACFT ARE LIKELY TO PASS BY OR WINDY CONDITIONS EXIST. 2) DO NOT SVC ACFT NEAR ACTIVE TXWYS.

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.

Bell 407 helicopter taxiing from the gate may have caused papers to be blown around by the rotor downwash. In any case, a piece of paper was ingested by an engine on a falcon 20. Reporter cannot confirm whether or not there was any aircraft damage.