Narrative:

How the problem arose: no ground personnel were available to assist in engine start as they had gone home for the evening. The first officer was a new student, this being his first night in the aircraft. We conducted a 2 hour exterior/interior preflight, which included emergency drills (the exterior inspection took 1 hour 15 mins, interior 45 mins). The chocks were not pulled during the exterior inspection due to the lengthy interior inspection required. As the captain, I decided to stay in the aircraft to set the parking brake. I instructed the first officer trainee to go outside and remove the wheel chocks and to have a good look around the aircraft to verify the area was clear. I set the brakes and notified the trainee when he was outside that this had been done. He returned to the aircraft and reported that he had pulled the chocks and the area was clear. I had asked him 2 separate questions addressing these items. We closed the cabin door and started the engines. Prior to taxi, I told the first officer to watch my right wingtip closely as we pulled out of the parking spot. We had called ground and had been instructed to taxi to runway 22. I initiated a left turn out of parking. (Note: the view from the cockpit at the parking position did not allow the cones to be in sight due to the ht of the aircraft.) a few seconds later, I heard a 'thump, thump' and the first officer said 'cones.' I said, 'did we hit something?' operation for another carrier also saw and called ground immediately. We requested a clearance to return to the parking spot which ground issued. We parked the aircraft and secured both engines. The #2 propeller had impacted the top of a 4-CONE stack. Upon inspection, there was no visible damage to the propellers. Maintenance was notified and a write-up was recorded in the aircraft logbook. The next day I was notified that the engine and propeller were satisfactory with no damage noted. The discrepancy was signed off and the revenue flight was completed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900D ON TAXI OUT FROM A GATE STRUCK A STACK OF PLASTIC SAFETY CONES WITH THE #2 ENG PROP INCURRING NO ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: HOW THE PROB AROSE: NO GND PERSONNEL WERE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN ENG START AS THEY HAD GONE HOME FOR THE EVENING. THE FO WAS A NEW STUDENT, THIS BEING HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE ACFT. WE CONDUCTED A 2 HR EXTERIOR/INTERIOR PREFLT, WHICH INCLUDED EMER DRILLS (THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION TOOK 1 HR 15 MINS, INTERIOR 45 MINS). THE CHOCKS WERE NOT PULLED DURING THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION DUE TO THE LENGTHY INTERIOR INSPECTION REQUIRED. AS THE CAPT, I DECIDED TO STAY IN THE ACFT TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TRAINEE TO GO OUTSIDE AND REMOVE THE WHEEL CHOCKS AND TO HAVE A GOOD LOOK AROUND THE ACFT TO VERIFY THE AREA WAS CLR. I SET THE BRAKES AND NOTIFIED THE TRAINEE WHEN HE WAS OUTSIDE THAT THIS HAD BEEN DONE. HE RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND RPTED THAT HE HAD PULLED THE CHOCKS AND THE AREA WAS CLR. I HAD ASKED HIM 2 SEPARATE QUESTIONS ADDRESSING THESE ITEMS. WE CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR AND STARTED THE ENGS. PRIOR TO TAXI, I TOLD THE FO TO WATCH MY R WINGTIP CLOSELY AS WE PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT. WE HAD CALLED GND AND HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 22. I INITIATED A L TURN OUT OF PARKING. (NOTE: THE VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT AT THE PARKING POS DID NOT ALLOW THE CONES TO BE IN SIGHT DUE TO THE HT OF THE ACFT.) A FEW SECONDS LATER, I HEARD A 'THUMP, THUMP' AND THE FO SAID 'CONES.' I SAID, 'DID WE HIT SOMETHING?' OP FOR ANOTHER CARRIER ALSO SAW AND CALLED GND IMMEDIATELY. WE REQUESTED A CLRNC TO RETURN TO THE PARKING SPOT WHICH GND ISSUED. WE PARKED THE ACFT AND SECURED BOTH ENGS. THE #2 PROP HAD IMPACTED THE TOP OF A 4-CONE STACK. UPON INSPECTION, THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE PROPS. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED AND A WRITE-UP WAS RECORDED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THE NEXT DAY I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE ENG AND PROP WERE SATISFACTORY WITH NO DAMAGE NOTED. THE DISCREPANCY WAS SIGNED OFF AND THE REVENUE FLT WAS COMPLETED.

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.