Narrative:

Leaving our maintenance hangar at XA20 to repos aircraft to the departure gate. First officer performed exterior preflight. He had placed his overnight bag on the ramp next to the aircraft stairs. Upon completion of preflight he came up the stairs, closed the aircraft door leaving the bag on the ramp ahead of the left propeller. Engine start was normal. When we started to taxi forward, the left propeller struck the bag. Aircraft was shut down and our maintenance department, flight control, chief pilot, and union safety was contacted. Contributing factors were many. The disruption of a common routine for the first officer. Mechanics were in the back of the aircraft, rows 9 and 10, and that's where he stows his bag. He said that's why he left his bag at the stairs, actually the bag was to the side and out of the way in case the mechanics had to go in and out of the aircraft. The early am report means up early to arrive on time. I know this first officer has a long drive in from dab. Could fatigue be a factor for both of us? Air carrier requires the aircraft to be at the gate 30 mins prior to departure. If you're late that has a tendency to increase the pace early in the morning. Nighttime is a factor. He never saw his bag when he closed the door, and I missed it when I cleared engine #1 to be started. The wing inspection lights, which illuminate the propeller and wing leading edge, were on. Obviously, I never saw the bag. The aircraft location was on our unlighted west side between 2 taxi lights with the tail over a grassy area. The overall ramp area was very congested. All this is no excuse for myself not insisting on a marshaller! Supplemental information from acn 537483: propeller inspected by maintenance found to have crack in 1 blade.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 PROP STRIKE ON CREW BAG ON RAMP DURING TAXI FROM MAINT TO GATE. PROP WAS CRACKED AND ACFT TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: LEAVING OUR MAINT HANGAR AT XA20 TO REPOS ACFT TO THE DEP GATE. FO PERFORMED EXTERIOR PREFLT. HE HAD PLACED HIS OVERNIGHT BAG ON THE RAMP NEXT TO THE ACFT STAIRS. UPON COMPLETION OF PREFLT HE CAME UP THE STAIRS, CLOSED THE ACFT DOOR LEAVING THE BAG ON THE RAMP AHEAD OF THE L PROP. ENG START WAS NORMAL. WHEN WE STARTED TO TAXI FORWARD, THE L PROP STRUCK THE BAG. ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND OUR MAINT DEPT, FLT CTL, CHIEF PLT, AND UNION SAFETY WAS CONTACTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MANY. THE DISRUPTION OF A COMMON ROUTINE FOR THE FO. MECHS WERE IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT, ROWS 9 AND 10, AND THAT'S WHERE HE STOWS HIS BAG. HE SAID THAT'S WHY HE LEFT HIS BAG AT THE STAIRS, ACTUALLY THE BAG WAS TO THE SIDE AND OUT OF THE WAY IN CASE THE MECHS HAD TO GO IN AND OUT OF THE ACFT. THE EARLY AM RPT MEANS UP EARLY TO ARRIVE ON TIME. I KNOW THIS FO HAS A LONG DRIVE IN FROM DAB. COULD FATIGUE BE A FACTOR FOR BOTH OF US? ACR REQUIRES THE ACFT TO BE AT THE GATE 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. IF YOU'RE LATE THAT HAS A TENDENCY TO INCREASE THE PACE EARLY IN THE MORNING. NIGHTTIME IS A FACTOR. HE NEVER SAW HIS BAG WHEN HE CLOSED THE DOOR, AND I MISSED IT WHEN I CLRED ENG #1 TO BE STARTED. THE WING INSPECTION LIGHTS, WHICH ILLUMINATE THE PROP AND WING LEADING EDGE, WERE ON. OBVIOUSLY, I NEVER SAW THE BAG. THE ACFT LOCATION WAS ON OUR UNLIGHTED W SIDE BTWN 2 TAXI LIGHTS WITH THE TAIL OVER A GRASSY AREA. THE OVERALL RAMP AREA WAS VERY CONGESTED. ALL THIS IS NO EXCUSE FOR MYSELF NOT INSISTING ON A MARSHALLER! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537483: PROP INSPECTED BY MAINT FOUND TO HAVE CRACK IN 1 BLADE.

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.