Narrative:

The independent courier pulled up to the airplane, inside the wingtip-radius, circle of safety, protected area. The freight was unloaded, the independent courier got into his truck and I started my engines. I rolled straight ahead and stopped when I heard a pop and felt a thump. The right rear window of the courier's truck was shattered and I saw the truck's red brake lights and white reverse lights on. I shut the airplane down and approached the courier. He said nothing except that he had to go 'to meet a deadline.' when I told him that he should wait and talk to his supervisor and to secure the fright, he ignored my suggestion and drove away. He drove away with a smashed rear right window with numerous lightweight pieces of bank work in the van. I approached the FBO personnel to see if they witnessed the event, neither (2 men) observed the event. Damage to the plane was limited to the right horizontal stabilizer: a small 2 inch dent to the outboard stabilizer cuff and a 3-4 inch abrasion to the deice boot. I called my assistant chief pilot and chief pilot, left a message for both, flight dispatch and maintenance, who advised me to leave the airplane for company maintenance to look into the damage. I spoke to our chief pilot and explained the incident. That evening I traveled to company headquarters and discussed the incident with the chief pilot and a human resources representative. I was counseled on the importance of monitoring all activities around the aircraft prior to and during startup, and taxi. Possible causes: my failure to ensure that the airplane and the truck had adequate clearance from one another before beginning a flight. My failure to advise the courier that he was too close to the airplane and instruct him to move his van. My failure for not allowing the courier to clear the area before starting engines on an empty leg with no deadline/time-critical work. Suggestions to prevent reoccurrence: advise pilots to instruct couriers to maintain a safe distance between the airplane and vehicle. Do not allow couriers too close to the airplane. Do not start engines until the entire area is verified clear of courier vehicles and other obstructions. Do not rush to start engines to begin a flight when there may be obstructions in the immediate area. Do not allow yourself to assume that your area is clear of obstructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND CONFLICT OCCURS WHEN A BE58 PART 135 ATP PLT TAXIES INTO A PARKED CARGO VEHICLE THAT WAS BY HIS R HORIZ STABILIZER AT HFD, CT.

Narrative: THE INDEPENDENT COURIER PULLED UP TO THE AIRPLANE, INSIDE THE WINGTIP-RADIUS, CIRCLE OF SAFETY, PROTECTED AREA. THE FREIGHT WAS UNLOADED, THE INDEPENDENT COURIER GOT INTO HIS TRUCK AND I STARTED MY ENGS. I ROLLED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND STOPPED WHEN I HEARD A POP AND FELT A THUMP. THE R REAR WINDOW OF THE COURIER'S TRUCK WAS SHATTERED AND I SAW THE TRUCK'S RED BRAKE LIGHTS AND WHITE REVERSE LIGHTS ON. I SHUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND APCHED THE COURIER. HE SAID NOTHING EXCEPT THAT HE HAD TO GO 'TO MEET A DEADLINE.' WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULD WAIT AND TALK TO HIS SUPVR AND TO SECURE THE FRIGHT, HE IGNORED MY SUGGESTION AND DROVE AWAY. HE DROVE AWAY WITH A SMASHED REAR R WINDOW WITH NUMEROUS LIGHTWEIGHT PIECES OF BANK WORK IN THE VAN. I APCHED THE FBO PERSONNEL TO SEE IF THEY WITNESSED THE EVENT, NEITHER (2 MEN) OBSERVED THE EVENT. DAMAGE TO THE PLANE WAS LIMITED TO THE R HORIZ STABILIZER: A SMALL 2 INCH DENT TO THE OUTBOARD STABILIZER CUFF AND A 3-4 INCH ABRASION TO THE DEICE BOOT. I CALLED MY ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT AND CHIEF PLT, LEFT A MESSAGE FOR BOTH, FLT DISPATCH AND MAINT, WHO ADVISED ME TO LEAVE THE AIRPLANE FOR COMPANY MAINT TO LOOK INTO THE DAMAGE. I SPOKE TO OUR CHIEF PLT AND EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT. THAT EVENING I TRAVELED TO COMPANY HEADQUARTERS AND DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE CHIEF PLT AND A HUMAN RESOURCES REPRESENTATIVE. I WAS COUNSELED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING ALL ACTIVITIES AROUND THE ACFT PRIOR TO AND DURING STARTUP, AND TAXI. POSSIBLE CAUSES: MY FAILURE TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRPLANE AND THE TRUCK HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC FROM ONE ANOTHER BEFORE BEGINNING A FLT. MY FAILURE TO ADVISE THE COURIER THAT HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE AIRPLANE AND INSTRUCT HIM TO MOVE HIS VAN. MY FAILURE FOR NOT ALLOWING THE COURIER TO CLR THE AREA BEFORE STARTING ENGS ON AN EMPTY LEG WITH NO DEADLINE/TIME-CRITICAL WORK. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT REOCCURRENCE: ADVISE PLTS TO INSTRUCT COURIERS TO MAINTAIN A SAFE DISTANCE BTWN THE AIRPLANE AND VEHICLE. DO NOT ALLOW COURIERS TOO CLOSE TO THE AIRPLANE. DO NOT START ENGS UNTIL THE ENTIRE AREA IS VERIFIED CLR OF COURIER VEHICLES AND OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT RUSH TO START ENGS TO BEGIN A FLT WHEN THERE MAY BE OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO ASSUME THAT YOUR AREA IS CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS.

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.