Narrative:

We were taxiing our aircraft, a B747-400, for takeoff on runway 32L (full length) at ord. The txwys were plowed with a thin coat of compacted crusty snow on them. We taxied from the Z passenger concourse on the taxiway B, turned right or south on taxiway F, crossed runway 27L with clearance and we were cleared to taxi on txwys F, T, and T12 to hold short of runway 32L. We stopped briefly on taxiway F12 then we cleared onto runway 32L to await takeoff clearance. Takeoffs were occurring on runway 32L from intersection T10 several thousand ft ahead of us and we waited about 5 mins expecting takeoff clearance. The tower controller asked if we had seen any airport vehicles while taxiing out. We said we had not, but since we were asked an unusual question we began looking around the airport area. Out the right cockpit window off in the distance hear the intersection of txwys F, T, and 512, we could see a yellow truck tipped on its side. It was near a blast fence and small building. We talked about the possibility of having blown the truck over with jetblast, but the truck was resting on the wrong side for that to be possible. Shortly after we spotted the van, other airport vehicles appeared on the scene along with fire trucks. The tower asked us to taxi to the runway 32L runup pad and shut down our engines. On the runup pad, city vehicles and our company maintenance people determined that there was damage on the outboard side of the #1 engine cowling. The damage I son the side but not the front cowling. The damage starts about 4 ft back from the inlet, is about 6 ft long, 6 inches wide and about 6 ft above the ground. While taxiing in this area, we were moving slowly due to the crusty txwys. We saw no vehicles, we felt or heard no impact or unusual aircraft movement. Our checklists had been completed before taxiing into the area where the truck was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 ON TAXI FOR TKOF WAS STRUCK BY A TRUCK INCURRING DAMAGE TO #1 ENG OUTBOARD SIDE COWLING.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING OUR ACFT, A B747-400, FOR TKOF ON RWY 32L (FULL LENGTH) AT ORD. THE TXWYS WERE PLOWED WITH A THIN COAT OF COMPACTED CRUSTY SNOW ON THEM. WE TAXIED FROM THE Z PAX CONCOURSE ON THE TXWY B, TURNED R OR S ON TXWY F, CROSSED RWY 27L WITH CLRNC AND WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI ON TXWYS F, T, AND T12 TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 32L. WE STOPPED BRIEFLY ON TXWY F12 THEN WE CLRED ONTO RWY 32L TO AWAIT TKOF CLRNC. TKOFS WERE OCCURRING ON RWY 32L FROM INTXN T10 SEVERAL THOUSAND FT AHEAD OF US AND WE WAITED ABOUT 5 MINS EXPECTING TKOF CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD SEEN ANY ARPT VEHICLES WHILE TAXIING OUT. WE SAID WE HAD NOT, BUT SINCE WE WERE ASKED AN UNUSUAL QUESTION WE BEGAN LOOKING AROUND THE ARPT AREA. OUT THE R COCKPIT WINDOW OFF IN THE DISTANCE HEAR THE INTXN OF TXWYS F, T, AND 512, WE COULD SEE A YELLOW TRUCK TIPPED ON ITS SIDE. IT WAS NEAR A BLAST FENCE AND SMALL BUILDING. WE TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING BLOWN THE TRUCK OVER WITH JETBLAST, BUT THE TRUCK WAS RESTING ON THE WRONG SIDE FOR THAT TO BE POSSIBLE. SHORTLY AFTER WE SPOTTED THE VAN, OTHER ARPT VEHICLES APPEARED ON THE SCENE ALONG WITH FIRE TRUCKS. THE TWR ASKED US TO TAXI TO THE RWY 32L RUNUP PAD AND SHUT DOWN OUR ENGS. ON THE RUNUP PAD, CITY VEHICLES AND OUR COMPANY MAINT PEOPLE DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE ON THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE #1 ENG COWLING. THE DAMAGE I SON THE SIDE BUT NOT THE FRONT COWLING. THE DAMAGE STARTS ABOUT 4 FT BACK FROM THE INLET, IS ABOUT 6 FT LONG, 6 INCHES WIDE AND ABOUT 6 FT ABOVE THE GND. WHILE TAXIING IN THIS AREA, WE WERE MOVING SLOWLY DUE TO THE CRUSTY TXWYS. WE SAW NO VEHICLES, WE FELT OR HEARD NO IMPACT OR UNUSUAL ACFT MOVEMENT. OUR CHKLISTS HAD BEEN COMPLETED BEFORE TAXIING INTO THE AREA WHERE THE TRUCK WAS.

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.