Narrative:

Power out (not pushback) is used at this gate. Initial aircraft movement required a very tight right turn of nearly 180 degrees. Aircraft turned nicely until about 110 degrees of turn, at which point it came to a dead stop. The reason such a tight turn was required was due to the close proximity of a commuter aircraft parallel parked to the right and in the process of deplaning passenger. After my aircraft lost momentum and stopped due to the uphill gradient of the ramp, I applied power as necessary to continue taxi. I did not apply excess power. After takeoff, an ACARS message was received informing the crew that jet blast had damaged the jetway on taxi out. A phone conversation with a company manager also revealed that a deplaning female passenger from the commuter aircraft had been struck but not injured by an orange marker cone. I am a new captain and new to the MD82. I had operated out of buf gate X on 2 previous trips without problems. On this occasion there were 2 obvious differences: 1) aircraft weight was near maximum at 135000+ pounds. 2) close proximity of commuter aircraft. I was reluctant to initially use excess power to get the momentum necessary to complete a 180 degree turn on an upslope ramp due to the close proximity of commuter aircraft, but in retrospect that is what was required so as not to need power once aircraft turned 180 degrees and jetway was vulnerable to jet blast. I recommend using pushback with tug to prevent additional occurrences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JETBLAST BY AN MD82 WHILE TAXIING OUT FROM GATE CAUSED DAMAGE TO JETWAY AND BLEW A PLASTIC MARKING CONE INTO PAX WALKING TO TERMINAL FROM A COMMUTER ACFT PARKED NEARBY.

Narrative: PWR OUT (NOT PUSHBACK) IS USED AT THIS GATE. INITIAL ACFT MOVEMENT REQUIRED A VERY TIGHT R TURN OF NEARLY 180 DEGS. ACFT TURNED NICELY UNTIL ABOUT 110 DEGS OF TURN, AT WHICH POINT IT CAME TO A DEAD STOP. THE REASON SUCH A TIGHT TURN WAS REQUIRED WAS DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF A COMMUTER ACFT PARALLEL PARKED TO THE R AND IN THE PROCESS OF DEPLANING PAX. AFTER MY ACFT LOST MOMENTUM AND STOPPED DUE TO THE UPHILL GRADIENT OF THE RAMP, I APPLIED PWR AS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TAXI. I DID NOT APPLY EXCESS PWR. AFTER TKOF, AN ACARS MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED INFORMING THE CREW THAT JET BLAST HAD DAMAGED THE JETWAY ON TAXI OUT. A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH A COMPANY MGR ALSO REVEALED THAT A DEPLANING FEMALE PAX FROM THE COMMUTER ACFT HAD BEEN STRUCK BUT NOT INJURED BY AN ORANGE MARKER CONE. I AM A NEW CAPT AND NEW TO THE MD82. I HAD OPERATED OUT OF BUF GATE X ON 2 PREVIOUS TRIPS WITHOUT PROBS. ON THIS OCCASION THERE WERE 2 OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES: 1) ACFT WT WAS NEAR MAX AT 135000+ LBS. 2) CLOSE PROX OF COMMUTER ACFT. I WAS RELUCTANT TO INITIALLY USE EXCESS PWR TO GET THE MOMENTUM NECESSARY TO COMPLETE A 180 DEG TURN ON AN UPSLOPE RAMP DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF COMMUTER ACFT, BUT IN RETROSPECT THAT IS WHAT WAS REQUIRED SO AS NOT TO NEED PWR ONCE ACFT TURNED 180 DEGS AND JETWAY WAS VULNERABLE TO JET BLAST. I RECOMMEND USING PUSHBACK WITH TUG TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL OCCURRENCES.

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.