Narrative:

The crew had just began their preflight duties and had walked around the outside of the aircraft. The time of day was dusk around XG45 at the phl air carrier ramp. The aircraft was an air carrier canadair regional jet CL65. The previous crew had vacated the cockpit having left the right engine running. The right engine was running to provide electrical and pneumatic power for the airplane as the APU was deferred for maintenance under the company MEL. As the starting crew were entering the cockpit to begin their acceptance, a substantial jolt of the airframe was felt. Immediately the crew got out and off the airplane to establish the cause of this jolt and found that a service truck had struck and wedged its driver cabin attendant in the right wingtip from the rear. The captain immediately returned to cockpit to shut down the engine (right) and depwr the airplane. The first officer, using the standby communication radio, called the air carrier operations on the ramp and gave a brief summary of what had happened and requested emergency assistance. After securing the airplane, the crew departed the scene to inform the company air carrier and the union. It was later discovered that the driver had sustained some substantial injury. Supplemental information from acn 416975: I would like to suggest that markers be placed in areas marking the wingtips of aircraft in the overflow area of the air carrier ramp in phl. Also, painted lines showing specific areas that motorized vehicles are allowed should be more clearly marked. Areas of the ramp should be restr to only vehicles where there is a specific need and purpose. (For instance, there is never a need for a catering truck to approach an aircraft from the rear in the overflow area of the air carrier ramp in phl.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 PARKED AT THE GATE WAS STRUCK BY A CATERING TRUCK, INJURING THE DRIVER AND INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE R WINGTIP.

Narrative: THE CREW HAD JUST BEGAN THEIR PREFLT DUTIES AND HAD WALKED AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT. THE TIME OF DAY WAS DUSK AROUND XG45 AT THE PHL ACR RAMP. THE ACFT WAS AN ACR CANADAIR REGIONAL JET CL65. THE PREVIOUS CREW HAD VACATED THE COCKPIT HAVING LEFT THE R ENG RUNNING. THE R ENG WAS RUNNING TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL AND PNEUMATIC PWR FOR THE AIRPLANE AS THE APU WAS DEFERRED FOR MAINT UNDER THE COMPANY MEL. AS THE STARTING CREW WERE ENTERING THE COCKPIT TO BEGIN THEIR ACCEPTANCE, A SUBSTANTIAL JOLT OF THE AIRFRAME WAS FELT. IMMEDIATELY THE CREW GOT OUT AND OFF THE AIRPLANE TO ESTABLISH THE CAUSE OF THIS JOLT AND FOUND THAT A SVC TRUCK HAD STRUCK AND WEDGED ITS DRIVER CAB IN THE R WINGTIP FROM THE REAR. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO COCKPIT TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG (R) AND DEPWR THE AIRPLANE. THE FO, USING THE STANDBY COM RADIO, CALLED THE ACR OPS ON THE RAMP AND GAVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND REQUESTED EMER ASSISTANCE. AFTER SECURING THE AIRPLANE, THE CREW DEPARTED THE SCENE TO INFORM THE COMPANY ACR AND THE UNION. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER HAD SUSTAINED SOME SUBSTANTIAL INJURY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 416975: I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT MARKERS BE PLACED IN AREAS MARKING THE WINGTIPS OF ACFT IN THE OVERFLOW AREA OF THE ACR RAMP IN PHL. ALSO, PAINTED LINES SHOWING SPECIFIC AREAS THAT MOTORIZED VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED SHOULD BE MORE CLRLY MARKED. AREAS OF THE RAMP SHOULD BE RESTR TO ONLY VEHICLES WHERE THERE IS A SPECIFIC NEED AND PURPOSE. (FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS NEVER A NEED FOR A CATERING TRUCK TO APCH AN ACFT FROM THE REAR IN THE OVERFLOW AREA OF THE ACR RAMP IN PHL.)

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.