A C172 is blown over on its nose and left wingtip by a jet blast encounter from a B737 moving away f...

Attributes
ACN	538598
Time
Date	200202
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bhm.airport
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : bhm.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 262.5 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	538598
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Aircraft ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While taxiing to tie down area, I was instructed by ground control to hold short of runway 24 at taxiway 'F'. As I moved to taxiway F/runway 24, I noticed aircraft #2, a B737, holding on taxiway 'a'. As I circled around behind aircraft #2, I noticed its proximity to taxiway 'F'. However, I felt that I could avoid its exhaust. I stopped at the hold short line for runway 24, ensuring that I was to the side of the exhaust path. I stopped about 100 ft behind aircraft #2, outboard of the left wingtip, at a 45 degree angle away from the B737, so that the left engine was about 4 O'clock position from me. When aircraft #2 increased power to taxi, I felt the exhaust against my plane, and tried to apply control correction to counter. Despite this, I was blown over onto my left wingtip and nose, resulting in a propeller strike, and engine stoppage, and damage to the left wing. After aircraft #2 moved away, my plane settled back on its gear. I immediately declared an emergency because of the level of jet activity around me. The gusty southeast wind blew the exhaust stream against my plane, which, I believe was the direct cause of the incident. Contributing factors were darkness, and high level of heavy aircraft activity. If faced with the same situation again, I can either stop before getting behind the heavy, or point the nose of my plane toward the exhaust, allowing control to be maintained.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 IS BLOWN OVER ON ITS NOSE AND L WINGTIP BY A JET BLAST ENCOUNTER FROM A B737 MOVING AWAY FROM THE NEXT TXWY DURING A NIGHT OP AT BHM, AL.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO TIE DOWN AREA, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24 AT TXWY 'F'. AS I MOVED TO TXWY F/RWY 24, I NOTICED ACFT #2, A B737, HOLDING ON TXWY 'A'. AS I CIRCLED AROUND BEHIND ACFT #2, I NOTICED ITS PROX TO TXWY 'F'. HOWEVER, I FELT THAT I COULD AVOID ITS EXHAUST. I STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 24, ENSURING THAT I WAS TO THE SIDE OF THE EXHAUST PATH. I STOPPED ABOUT 100 FT BEHIND ACFT #2, OUTBOARD OF THE L WINGTIP, AT A 45 DEG ANGLE AWAY FROM THE B737, SO THAT THE L ENG WAS ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK POS FROM ME. WHEN ACFT #2 INCREASED PWR TO TAXI, I FELT THE EXHAUST AGAINST MY PLANE, AND TRIED TO APPLY CTL CORRECTION TO COUNTER. DESPITE THIS, I WAS BLOWN OVER ONTO MY L WINGTIP AND NOSE, RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE, AND ENG STOPPAGE, AND DAMAGE TO THE L WING. AFTER ACFT #2 MOVED AWAY, MY PLANE SETTLED BACK ON ITS GEAR. I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF JET ACTIVITY AROUND ME. THE GUSTY SE WIND BLEW THE EXHAUST STREAM AGAINST MY PLANE, WHICH, I BELIEVE WAS THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE DARKNESS, AND HIGH LEVEL OF HVY ACFT ACTIVITY. IF FACED WITH THE SAME SIT AGAIN, I CAN EITHER STOP BEFORE GETTING BEHIND THE HVY, OR POINT THE NOSE OF MY PLANE TOWARD THE EXHAUST, ALLOWING CTL TO BE MAINTAINED.

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.

A C172 is blown over on its nose and left wingtip by a jet blast encounter from a B737 moving away from the next taxiway during a night operation at bhm, al.