Narrative:

This incident started at XA30 EST jan/fri/98, when I felt my aircraft rocked as if it had been hit. I checked the right side of the aircraft by opening the 1R door, all seemed normal. There were no ramp personnel or vehicular activity (except the belt loader position at the forward cargo door) in view. Next, I checked the left side of the aircraft by exiting through the jetway ramp door. As I exited the door and started my investigation, 1 ramp agent was standing just below me and next to the heat cart. When I saw him, I ask, 'did anything hit my aircraft.' his answer to me was, 'no. Nothing hit the aircraft. The heater hose had broken.' I was standing on the jetway platform above him, no vehicular activity or personnel around the aircraft visible. It seem strange to have experience such a sharp jolt, from what was concluded to be breaking of the heater hose. I expressed concern to my first officer when I returned to flight deck. Since, I did not see or find physical damage nor could I find the cause for the jolt, my first officer and I returned to our preflight duties. At 10 mins before departure time, my first officer and I heard a banging noise coming from, what I thought, was the nosewheel area. I commented to my first officer, that the tug crew must be having a heck-a-time attaching the tow bar. At 3 mins prior to pushback, the gate agent delivered our final paperwork and made the statement that we can go when maintenance is finished working on the airplane. I asked what she meant by that statement. She replied, that the aircraft had been damaged when a ramp agent tried to drive off with the heater cart and did not detach the hose. Now, the answer came as to why we felt the sharp jolt to our aircraft. I then sent my first officer to access the damage and to bring the mechanic up. I met with the mechanic and the ramp supervisor and asked why I was not notified that my aircraft was damaged. It seemed the ramp agent, who caused the problem, did notify his ramp supervisor and the ramp supervisor contacted maintenance. Everyone assumed that I was informed at the time of the occurrence. I personally spoke to the ramp agent, who caused the damage, and asked why he did not tell me what happened when first I asked. He replied he did tell me the truth, nothing hit your aircraft. He just forgot to disconnect the heater hose from the access panel and drove off with heat cart and that caused the hose to break. I tried to explain to him, that as captain, I need to be informed when anything or anyone damages an aircraft. I explained further, that I am responsible for the lives of everyone onboard. I tried to get him to understand that honesty especially working around aircraft is essential. The aircraft was released by the mechanic a few mins later and the flight departed syr and arrived in atlanta just a few mins late. Conclusion: I really feel that if the contract ramp agent had been up front with me initially, the overall problem could have been resolved sooner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF AN ACR MLG FEELS A JOLT WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE AND DISCOVER THAT THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE HEATER CART WAS DRIVEN OFF BEFORE THE HEATER DUCK WAS DISCONNECTED.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT STARTED AT XA30 EST JAN/FRI/98, WHEN I FELT MY ACFT ROCKED AS IF IT HAD BEEN HIT. I CHKED THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT BY OPENING THE 1R DOOR, ALL SEEMED NORMAL. THERE WERE NO RAMP PERSONNEL OR VEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EXCEPT THE BELT LOADER POS AT THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR) IN VIEW. NEXT, I CHKED THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT BY EXITING THROUGH THE JETWAY RAMP DOOR. AS I EXITED THE DOOR AND STARTED MY INVESTIGATION, 1 RAMP AGENT WAS STANDING JUST BELOW ME AND NEXT TO THE HEAT CART. WHEN I SAW HIM, I ASK, 'DID ANYTHING HIT MY ACFT.' HIS ANSWER TO ME WAS, 'NO. NOTHING HIT THE ACFT. THE HEATER HOSE HAD BROKEN.' I WAS STANDING ON THE JETWAY PLATFORM ABOVE HIM, NO VEHICULAR ACTIVITY OR PERSONNEL AROUND THE ACFT VISIBLE. IT SEEM STRANGE TO HAVE EXPERIENCE SUCH A SHARP JOLT, FROM WHAT WAS CONCLUDED TO BE BREAKING OF THE HEATER HOSE. I EXPRESSED CONCERN TO MY FO WHEN I RETURNED TO FLT DECK. SINCE, I DID NOT SEE OR FIND PHYSICAL DAMAGE NOR COULD I FIND THE CAUSE FOR THE JOLT, MY FO AND I RETURNED TO OUR PREFLT DUTIES. AT 10 MINS BEFORE DEP TIME, MY FO AND I HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM, WHAT I THOUGHT, WAS THE NOSEWHEEL AREA. I COMMENTED TO MY FO, THAT THE TUG CREW MUST BE HAVING A HECK-A-TIME ATTACHING THE TOW BAR. AT 3 MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, THE GATE AGENT DELIVERED OUR FINAL PAPERWORK AND MADE THE STATEMENT THAT WE CAN GO WHEN MAINT IS FINISHED WORKING ON THE AIRPLANE. I ASKED WHAT SHE MEANT BY THAT STATEMENT. SHE REPLIED, THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN DAMAGED WHEN A RAMP AGENT TRIED TO DRIVE OFF WITH THE HEATER CART AND DID NOT DETACH THE HOSE. NOW, THE ANSWER CAME AS TO WHY WE FELT THE SHARP JOLT TO OUR ACFT. I THEN SENT MY FO TO ACCESS THE DAMAGE AND TO BRING THE MECH UP. I MET WITH THE MECH AND THE RAMP SUPVR AND ASKED WHY I WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT MY ACFT WAS DAMAGED. IT SEEMED THE RAMP AGENT, WHO CAUSED THE PROB, DID NOTIFY HIS RAMP SUPVR AND THE RAMP SUPVR CONTACTED MAINT. EVERYONE ASSUMED THAT I WAS INFORMED AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. I PERSONALLY SPOKE TO THE RAMP AGENT, WHO CAUSED THE DAMAGE, AND ASKED WHY HE DID NOT TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED WHEN FIRST I ASKED. HE REPLIED HE DID TELL ME THE TRUTH, NOTHING HIT YOUR ACFT. HE JUST FORGOT TO DISCONNECT THE HEATER HOSE FROM THE ACCESS PANEL AND DROVE OFF WITH HEAT CART AND THAT CAUSED THE HOSE TO BREAK. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM, THAT AS CAPT, I NEED TO BE INFORMED WHEN ANYTHING OR ANYONE DAMAGES AN ACFT. I EXPLAINED FURTHER, THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIVES OF EVERYONE ONBOARD. I TRIED TO GET HIM TO UNDERSTAND THAT HONESTY ESPECIALLY WORKING AROUND ACFT IS ESSENTIAL. THE ACFT WAS RELEASED BY THE MECH A FEW MINS LATER AND THE FLT DEPARTED SYR AND ARRIVED IN ATLANTA JUST A FEW MINS LATE. CONCLUSION: I REALLY FEEL THAT IF THE CONTRACT RAMP AGENT HAD BEEN UP FRONT WITH ME INITIALLY, THE OVERALL PROB COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED SOONER.

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.