Narrative:

Aircraft was pushed back from gate at ord. Maximum allowed breakaway thrust was applied to begin taxi, and captain initiated right turn with nosewheel steering. First notification of jetblast damage to carts and personnel was 3 days later. I feel that the aircraft should have been pushed back further from the gate area, with possibly a turn toward the direction of intended taxi and with jetblast area behind clear. The pushback was standard for operations in ord. Aircraft was extremely heavy with 6 1/2 hours fuel on board. Supplemental information from acn 483021: aug/sun/00 I received a phone call at home from a representative of the union safety team. He requested a statement to the jet exhaust incident on flight that had occurred on aug/thu/00. I stated that I had no knowledge of any such incident. Air carrier had not advised me of any such problem. To my knowledge the flight had been operated in compliance with all FARS and air carrier's policies. The representative then advised me that an internal incident report stated that jet exhaust from flight had blown into 2 baggage carts, with the extent of damage unknown. This phone call 3 days after the alleged event was a complete surprise. I have spoken with air carrier flight office supervisors on several occasions about my concern about the congestion adjacent to our gates caused by parking tugs and carts close to arriving and departing aircraft. They advised me that they were aware and were working with ramp supervisors on the safety issues involved. Pilots have no control over vehicles placed behind them or the spot to which the pushback tractor driver stops the aircraft to disconnect the tow bar. We are cautioned to be aware of our own jet exhaust and those other aircraft in the area. We do. I regret the incident. Perhaps a review of the parking of ramp vehicles and pushback procedure might be in order. Pilots must also be made more alert to not automatically accept 'spot' from tractor/tug drivers if they feel that 'breakaway' thrust limits are questionable at that spot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 PIC CREATES A JETBLAST ENCOUNTER, DAMAGING BAGGAGE CARTS AND INFLICTING PERSONAL INJURY WHEN DEPARTING THE RAMP AT ORD.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT ORD. MAX ALLOWED BREAKAWAY THRUST WAS APPLIED TO BEGIN TAXI, AND CAPT INITIATED R TURN WITH NOSEWHEEL STEERING. FIRST NOTIFICATION OF JETBLAST DAMAGE TO CARTS AND PERSONNEL WAS 3 DAYS LATER. I FEEL THAT THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK FURTHER FROM THE GATE AREA, WITH POSSIBLY A TURN TOWARD THE DIRECTION OF INTENDED TAXI AND WITH JETBLAST AREA BEHIND CLR. THE PUSHBACK WAS STANDARD FOR OPS IN ORD. ACFT WAS EXTREMELY HVY WITH 6 1/2 HRS FUEL ON BOARD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 483021: AUG/SUN/00 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL AT HOME FROM A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION SAFETY TEAM. HE REQUESTED A STATEMENT TO THE JET EXHAUST INCIDENT ON FLT THAT HAD OCCURRED ON AUG/THU/00. I STATED THAT I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY SUCH INCIDENT. ACR HAD NOT ADVISED ME OF ANY SUCH PROB. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THE FLT HAD BEEN OPERATED IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL FARS AND ACR'S POLICIES. THE REPRESENTATIVE THEN ADVISED ME THAT AN INTERNAL INCIDENT RPT STATED THAT JET EXHAUST FROM FLT HAD BLOWN INTO 2 BAGGAGE CARTS, WITH THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE UNKNOWN. THIS PHONE CALL 3 DAYS AFTER THE ALLEGED EVENT WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH ACR FLT OFFICE SUPVRS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ABOUT MY CONCERN ABOUT THE CONGESTION ADJACENT TO OUR GATES CAUSED BY PARKING TUGS AND CARTS CLOSE TO ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT. THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE AND WERE WORKING WITH RAMP SUPVRS ON THE SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVED. PLTS HAVE NO CTL OVER VEHICLES PLACED BEHIND THEM OR THE SPOT TO WHICH THE PUSHBACK TRACTOR DRIVER STOPS THE ACFT TO DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR. WE ARE CAUTIONED TO BE AWARE OF OUR OWN JET EXHAUST AND THOSE OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. WE DO. I REGRET THE INCIDENT. PERHAPS A REVIEW OF THE PARKING OF RAMP VEHICLES AND PUSHBACK PROC MIGHT BE IN ORDER. PLTS MUST ALSO BE MADE MORE ALERT TO NOT AUTOMATICALLY ACCEPT 'SPOT' FROM TRACTOR/TUG DRIVERS IF THEY FEEL THAT 'BREAKAWAY' THRUST LIMITS ARE QUESTIONABLE AT THAT SPOT.

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.