Narrative:

The aircraft had an inoperative APU and required external electric power and compressed air to start. The aircraft was lightly loaded so I planned to start 1 engine at the parking spot, then push back, and start the other engines during the long taxi to the other end of runway 16L. Instead of pushing the aircraft straight back and parallel to the runway, the push crew instead turned the aircraft's tail toward the freight building so that the nose was pointed toward the ramp exit some 50-75 ft from the runway 16L parallel taxiway and 250-300 ft from the freight building. A DC8 was parked upwind 2 spaces over, probably 200-250 ft to the right, and 100-150 ft behind the aircraft. Even with the less favorable position where the push crew had stopped the aircraft, I believed that I still had adequate clearance behind the aircraft for taxi power. When the push crew was clear I released the brakes and set maximum taxi power (65% N2 RPM). The aircraft moved forward 3-5 ft then sagged into a depression and stopped. I did not want to use more thrust, so I started the remaining engines using the xbleed air from the engine still running at 65% N2 RPM. Because the aircraft was lightly loaded, I expected the 3 engines running at idle to move the aircraft quite well, but it remained stuck in the depression. I increased thrust on the other 2 engines to get the aircraft to move. It took an unusual amount of thrust for the aircraft's weight, so when the aircraft finally moved I glanced at the N2 indicators and saw 75% N2 on 1 engine. That would normally be the power required to move a heavily loaded B727. The taxi director had been giving me a taxi ahead signal during this entire period. He never gave a stop signal or indicated that anything was wrong behind the aircraft. The company contacted me in oak with a message that there had been some jetblast damage in slc. Later, I was advised that there was no damage, but that there was a complaint that the xbleed start on the ramp could have caused damage. It was not my plan to do a xbleed start on the ramp, but the high taxi power was probably what caused the complaint. Several things seemed to cause the need for excess taxi thrust: 1) a dragging brake, 2) a depression in the ramp, 3) a slight uphill grade. This was my second flight in the aircraft. The brakes had seemed normal on the first tol-slc leg, but during this taxi it felt as if the right brake was dragging because it took more thrust than I expected and the aircraft wanted to pull to the right. I found that tapping the right brake seemed to free the wheels. I wrote up the dragging brake in the maintenance log.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 AFTER PUSHBACK AND START OF TAXI HAD TO USE HIGHER THAN NORMAL IDLE PWR TO MOVE ACFT SUBJECTING PARKED ACFT AND RAMP TO JETBLAST.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD AN INOP APU AND REQUIRED EXTERNAL ELECTRIC PWR AND COMPRESSED AIR TO START. THE ACFT WAS LIGHTLY LOADED SO I PLANNED TO START 1 ENG AT THE PARKING SPOT, THEN PUSH BACK, AND START THE OTHER ENGS DURING THE LONG TAXI TO THE OTHER END OF RWY 16L. INSTEAD OF PUSHING THE ACFT STRAIGHT BACK AND PARALLEL TO THE RWY, THE PUSH CREW INSTEAD TURNED THE ACFT'S TAIL TOWARD THE FREIGHT BUILDING SO THAT THE NOSE WAS POINTED TOWARD THE RAMP EXIT SOME 50-75 FT FROM THE RWY 16L PARALLEL TXWY AND 250-300 FT FROM THE FREIGHT BUILDING. A DC8 WAS PARKED UPWIND 2 SPACES OVER, PROBABLY 200-250 FT TO THE R, AND 100-150 FT BEHIND THE ACFT. EVEN WITH THE LESS FAVORABLE POS WHERE THE PUSH CREW HAD STOPPED THE ACFT, I BELIEVED THAT I STILL HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC BEHIND THE ACFT FOR TAXI PWR. WHEN THE PUSH CREW WAS CLR I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND SET MAX TAXI PWR (65% N2 RPM). THE ACFT MOVED FORWARD 3-5 FT THEN SAGGED INTO A DEPRESSION AND STOPPED. I DID NOT WANT TO USE MORE THRUST, SO I STARTED THE REMAINING ENGS USING THE XBLEED AIR FROM THE ENG STILL RUNNING AT 65% N2 RPM. BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS LIGHTLY LOADED, I EXPECTED THE 3 ENGS RUNNING AT IDLE TO MOVE THE ACFT QUITE WELL, BUT IT REMAINED STUCK IN THE DEPRESSION. I INCREASED THRUST ON THE OTHER 2 ENGS TO GET THE ACFT TO MOVE. IT TOOK AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF THRUST FOR THE ACFT'S WT, SO WHEN THE ACFT FINALLY MOVED I GLANCED AT THE N2 INDICATORS AND SAW 75% N2 ON 1 ENG. THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE THE PWR REQUIRED TO MOVE A HEAVILY LOADED B727. THE TAXI DIRECTOR HAD BEEN GIVING ME A TAXI AHEAD SIGNAL DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD. HE NEVER GAVE A STOP SIGNAL OR INDICATED THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG BEHIND THE ACFT. THE COMPANY CONTACTED ME IN OAK WITH A MESSAGE THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME JETBLAST DAMAGE IN SLC. LATER, I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, BUT THAT THERE WAS A COMPLAINT THAT THE XBLEED START ON THE RAMP COULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE. IT WAS NOT MY PLAN TO DO A XBLEED START ON THE RAMP, BUT THE HIGH TAXI PWR WAS PROBABLY WHAT CAUSED THE COMPLAINT. SEVERAL THINGS SEEMED TO CAUSE THE NEED FOR EXCESS TAXI THRUST: 1) A DRAGGING BRAKE, 2) A DEPRESSION IN THE RAMP, 3) A SLIGHT UPHILL GRADE. THIS WAS MY SECOND FLT IN THE ACFT. THE BRAKES HAD SEEMED NORMAL ON THE FIRST TOL-SLC LEG, BUT DURING THIS TAXI IT FELT AS IF THE R BRAKE WAS DRAGGING BECAUSE IT TOOK MORE THRUST THAN I EXPECTED AND THE ACFT WANTED TO PULL TO THE R. I FOUND THAT TAPPING THE R BRAKE SEEMED TO FREE THE WHEELS. I WROTE UP THE DRAGGING BRAKE IN THE MAINT LOG.

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.