Narrative:

During walkaround of aircraft XXX, we noticed a kva and a bill jack stand on the left side of aircraft #1 door. After closing the door, I called ramp control and asked if someone could pull the kva away. She confirmed that she would. I then called maintenance for the logbook. They said that they would bring it to the hangar. We did the checklist. After completion of the checklist, I looked up and saw that the ground man was giving us clearance to start. After starting both engines, I looked up and saw the ground man wave us off and drive away. I confirmed the wave-off with mr X and then called ramp for clearance to taxi. I pulled forward approximately 15 ft and felt that we hit something. I then shut down and parked brakes. Misconception of communications between ground man and tower clrncs to taxi aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 540047: I was driving the crew delivery van, picking up taxi crews from the hangar at the line. I was directed to pick up the taxi crew from aircraft at XA00 and take them to pad X to pick up aircraft XXX for delivery to the hangar complex. A power cart and a work stand were sitting at the left front side of aircraft XXX. The taxi crew stated to me as they entered the aircraft that they would call the tower to have the power cart removed as there was no tow hitch on the van and the power cart was too large to move by hand. I moved the work stand back to the blast fence and then came back and gave the taxi crew the signal to start engines. That way they would be ready to taxi out when the power cart had been removed. I then drove over to section xx at the terminal to relieve myself since we were waiting for someone to come remove the power cart. Upon returning to pad X, I saw that the aircraft had run over the power cart causing damage to the left side of the aircraft. The crew had already called aircraft maintenance to report the incident. At no time did I give any clearance to the taxi crew to move the aircraft. Both crew members knew that the power cart was there when they entered the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ON START OF TAXI TO THE HANGAR STRUCK THE GPU LUGGED INTO THE ACFT INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE ACFT FUSELAGE SKIN.

Narrative: DURING WALKAROUND OF ACFT XXX, WE NOTICED A KVA AND A BILL JACK STAND ON THE L SIDE OF ACFT #1 DOOR. AFTER CLOSING THE DOOR, I CALLED RAMP CTL AND ASKED IF SOMEONE COULD PULL THE KVA AWAY. SHE CONFIRMED THAT SHE WOULD. I THEN CALLED MAINT FOR THE LOGBOOK. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BRING IT TO THE HANGAR. WE DID THE CHKLIST. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE CHKLIST, I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT THE GND MAN WAS GIVING US CLRNC TO START. AFTER STARTING BOTH ENGS, I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE GND MAN WAVE US OFF AND DRIVE AWAY. I CONFIRMED THE WAVE-OFF WITH MR X AND THEN CALLED RAMP FOR CLRNC TO TAXI. I PULLED FORWARD APPROX 15 FT AND FELT THAT WE HIT SOMETHING. I THEN SHUT DOWN AND PARKED BRAKES. MISCONCEPTION OF COMS BTWN GND MAN AND TWR CLRNCS TO TAXI ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 540047: I WAS DRIVING THE CREW DELIVERY VAN, PICKING UP TAXI CREWS FROM THE HANGAR AT THE LINE. I WAS DIRECTED TO PICK UP THE TAXI CREW FROM ACFT AT XA00 AND TAKE THEM TO PAD X TO PICK UP ACFT XXX FOR DELIVERY TO THE HANGAR COMPLEX. A PWR CART AND A WORK STAND WERE SITTING AT THE L FRONT SIDE OF ACFT XXX. THE TAXI CREW STATED TO ME AS THEY ENTERED THE ACFT THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE TWR TO HAVE THE PWR CART REMOVED AS THERE WAS NO TOW HITCH ON THE VAN AND THE PWR CART WAS TOO LARGE TO MOVE BY HAND. I MOVED THE WORK STAND BACK TO THE BLAST FENCE AND THEN CAME BACK AND GAVE THE TAXI CREW THE SIGNAL TO START ENGS. THAT WAY THEY WOULD BE READY TO TAXI OUT WHEN THE PWR CART HAD BEEN REMOVED. I THEN DROVE OVER TO SECTION XX AT THE TERMINAL TO RELIEVE MYSELF SINCE WE WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME REMOVE THE PWR CART. UPON RETURNING TO PAD X, I SAW THAT THE ACFT HAD RUN OVER THE PWR CART CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE CREW HAD ALREADY CALLED ACFT MAINT TO RPT THE INCIDENT. AT NO TIME DID I GIVE ANY CLRNC TO THE TAXI CREW TO MOVE THE ACFT. BOTH CREW MEMBERS KNEW THAT THE PWR CART WAS THERE WHEN THEY ENTERED THE ACFT.

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.