Narrative:

Upon exit from ramp area to active taxiway, aircraft right main struck construction barricade. While making a right turn to exit out of ramp area via throat to taxiway, the right main hit barricade. Due to the geometric restrs of this long wheel base of aircraft, the right main crossed over non taxi area while captain was making right turn with the nosewheel on the designated taxi line. Upon observation of other similar aircraft types taxiing through taxiway throats, approximately 1/2 of these aircraft crossed into the no taxi area with the mains. The position of our aircraft was very tight to the barricades due to gate location and the turn was approximately 90 degrees. Airport auths were notified of incident and it is understood that these wood barriers will be replaced with rubber cones to prevent incidents of this type in the future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that at the present time the construction has been completed at the point where the incident occurred and there are no cones or barriers present. He further states that construction continues on other parts of the ewr airport and he observes many questionable construction safety practices on the part of the construction personnel. The reporter cites a poor or missing control or liaison between the port authority/authorized and the construction operation in general. He cites crews working in very close proximity to takeoff and landing aircraft traffic in particular and states that an aborted takeoff or landing excursion would almost certainly wipe out some of the construction crews. Following the incident, cones appeared only at the site of the incident and not in the larger general area of potential hazard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S80 WITH NEW CAPT CONTACTS CONSTRUCTION BARRIER TAXI OUT EWR WITH NOSEWHEEL ON TAXI LINE.

Narrative: UPON EXIT FROM RAMP AREA TO ACTIVE TXWY, ACFT R MAIN STRUCK CONSTRUCTION BARRICADE. WHILE MAKING A R TURN TO EXIT OUT OF RAMP AREA VIA THROAT TO TXWY, THE R MAIN HIT BARRICADE. DUE TO THE GEOMETRIC RESTRS OF THIS LONG WHEEL BASE OF ACFT, THE R MAIN CROSSED OVER NON TAXI AREA WHILE CAPT WAS MAKING R TURN WITH THE NOSEWHEEL ON THE DESIGNATED TAXI LINE. UPON OBSERVATION OF OTHER SIMILAR ACFT TYPES TAXIING THROUGH TXWY THROATS, APPROX 1/2 OF THESE ACFT CROSSED INTO THE NO TAXI AREA WITH THE MAINS. THE POS OF OUR ACFT WAS VERY TIGHT TO THE BARRICADES DUE TO GATE LOCATION AND THE TURN WAS APPROX 90 DEGS. ARPT AUTHS WERE NOTIFIED OF INCIDENT AND IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THESE WOOD BARRIERS WILL BE REPLACED WITH RUBBER CONES TO PREVENT INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE IN THE FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT AT THE PRESENT TIME THE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED AT THE POINT WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AND THERE ARE NO CONES OR BARRIERS PRESENT. HE FURTHER STATES THAT CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON OTHER PARTS OF THE EWR ARPT AND HE OBSERVES MANY QUESTIONABLE CONSTRUCTION SAFETY PRACTICES ON THE PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION PERSONNEL. THE RPTR CITES A POOR OR MISSING CTL OR LIAISON BTWN THE PORT AUTH AND THE CONSTRUCTION OP IN GENERAL. HE CITES CREWS WORKING IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO TKOF AND LNDG ACFT TFC IN PARTICULAR AND STATES THAT AN ABORTED TKOF OR LNDG EXCURSION WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY WIPE OUT SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, CONES APPEARED ONLY AT THE SITE OF THE INCIDENT AND NOT IN THE LARGER GENERAL AREA OF POTENTIAL HAZARD.

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.