Narrative:

Propeller strike. We had finished all the checklist items through the before-taxi checklist. I looked over to my left at the marshal and got a salute clearing me to depart the ramp. We were parked at the closest spot next to the terminal building and there were no other aircraft on the ramp at the time. The left engine was in 'min' position and the right engine was feathered. I looked to the right and started to move the aircraft in that direction toward taxiway B. I did not see a traffic cone that was there as it was hidden by the glare shield. As we turned further toward the north, the nose of the aircraft obstructed my view of a traffic cone. As we started to finish the turn, heading toward taxiway B, post event inspection disclosed that the left propeller struck a traffic cone. I was looking forward and did not see the impact. The sound of the impact was the first indication of a problem. I brought the aircraft to an immediate stop and looked out my left side window. I shut the engine down. After parking the aircraft in a remote parking spot, the passenger were deplaned. We contacted dispatch and maintenance via ACARS and made an appropriate log entry. Supplemental information from acn 604120: as we began our taxi from the parking spot, we struck a traffic cone with the left propeller. The marshal was to the left of the aircraft and signaled us to depart the ramp, which involves a right turn from the parking spot. A traffic cone was to the right of the aircraft, but not within view from the cockpit. At the sound of the impact, the captain stopped the aircraft immediately and shut down the engines. Since there are no painted markings to designate the parking, cones had been sometimes left on the ramp to indicate where the nose of the aircraft would come to a stop. I feel painted markings to designate parking on our ramp may have prevented this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF-34 CREW HIT A TFC CONE WITH #1 PROP.

Narrative: PROP STRIKE. WE HAD FINISHED ALL THE CHKLIST ITEMS THROUGH THE BEFORE-TAXI CHKLIST. I LOOKED OVER TO MY L AT THE MARSHAL AND GOT A SALUTE CLRING ME TO DEPART THE RAMP. WE WERE PARKED AT THE CLOSEST SPOT NEXT TO THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ON THE RAMP AT THE TIME. THE L ENG WAS IN 'MIN' POS AND THE R ENG WAS FEATHERED. I LOOKED TO THE R AND STARTED TO MOVE THE ACFT IN THAT DIRECTION TOWARD TXWY B. I DID NOT SEE A TFC CONE THAT WAS THERE AS IT WAS HIDDEN BY THE GLARE SHIELD. AS WE TURNED FURTHER TOWARD THE N, THE NOSE OF THE ACFT OBSTRUCTED MY VIEW OF A TFC CONE. AS WE STARTED TO FINISH THE TURN, HEADING TOWARD TXWY B, POST EVENT INSPECTION DISCLOSED THAT THE L PROP STRUCK A TFC CONE. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD AND DID NOT SEE THE IMPACT. THE SOUND OF THE IMPACT WAS THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP AND LOOKED OUT MY L SIDE WINDOW. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT IN A REMOTE PARKING SPOT, THE PAX WERE DEPLANED. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT VIA ACARS AND MADE AN APPROPRIATE LOG ENTRY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 604120: AS WE BEGAN OUR TAXI FROM THE PARKING SPOT, WE STRUCK A TFC CONE WITH THE L PROP. THE MARSHAL WAS TO THE L OF THE ACFT AND SIGNALED US TO DEPART THE RAMP, WHICH INVOLVES A R TURN FROM THE PARKING SPOT. A TFC CONE WAS TO THE R OF THE ACFT, BUT NOT WITHIN VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT. AT THE SOUND OF THE IMPACT, THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. SINCE THERE ARE NO PAINTED MARKINGS TO DESIGNATE THE PARKING, CONES HAD BEEN SOMETIMES LEFT ON THE RAMP TO INDICATE WHERE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WOULD COME TO A STOP. I FEEL PAINTED MARKINGS TO DESIGNATE PARKING ON OUR RAMP MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT.

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.