Narrative:

Upon receipt of release, I signaled for and received the clearance to start the left engine. After the left engine stabilized, I commanded the first officer to request taxi clearance and subsequently start the right engine. After receiving taxi clearance, I signaled (flashed taxi light) the ground crew with our readiness to taxi. In response, the signal person gave an immediate 'come straight ahead' signal, at which I momentarily advanced the left throttle to approximately 75-76% N2 to initiate movement, and subsequently retarded the throttle to idle power. Once moving, the ground crew gave us the 'turn right' signal, with which I complied. Ground idle power caused enough acceleration to complete the first 150-180 degrees of turn, at which point I added more left engine thrust (never exceeding approximately 75% N2) to keep forward momentum. Upon taxi out, an air carrier Y pilot called over ground frequency and advised that, due to 'close proximity of parking,' our initial engine blast had caused injuries to their passenger. We asked for clarification of what transpired and the air carrier Y pilot responded that because their aircraft was parked so close behind our aircraft, our blast knocked a cart over and injured some of their people. In conclusion, while taxiing out, the marshaler's hand/wand commands were carefully observed and followed and not once were there any indications of an impending urgency to stop or change our taxi out ground path. The initial movement power application, as described above, was short lived and minimal enough to only initiate aircraft movement in response to ground crew is clearance to proceed forward and turn. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated no information has been reported on any injuries in this incident. The reporter said the departure was routine with a marshaler and 2 wing walkers and normal thrust. The reporter stated at this airport the airplanes park parallel to the terminal gates, one behind the other, in line. The reporter said the passenger walk on the ramp to board the aircraft as there are no jetways and no tugs for towing off the gates. The reporter stated that caution must be used when boarding passenger and passenger boarding must be stopped when the aircraft parked in front departs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B717-200, ON TAXI OUT FROM A GATE WITH MARSHALER AND WING WALKER, WAS ADVISED BY ACFT PARKED BEHIND THAT JETBLAST CAUSED INJURIES.

Narrative: UPON RECEIPT OF RELEASE, I SIGNALED FOR AND RECEIVED THE CLRNC TO START THE L ENG. AFTER THE L ENG STABILIZED, I COMMANDED THE FO TO REQUEST TAXI CLRNC AND SUBSEQUENTLY START THE R ENG. AFTER RECEIVING TAXI CLRNC, I SIGNALED (FLASHED TAXI LIGHT) THE GND CREW WITH OUR READINESS TO TAXI. IN RESPONSE, THE SIGNAL PERSON GAVE AN IMMEDIATE 'COME STRAIGHT AHEAD' SIGNAL, AT WHICH I MOMENTARILY ADVANCED THE L THROTTLE TO APPROX 75-76% N2 TO INITIATE MOVEMENT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE PWR. ONCE MOVING, THE GND CREW GAVE US THE 'TURN R' SIGNAL, WITH WHICH I COMPLIED. GND IDLE PWR CAUSED ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO COMPLETE THE FIRST 150-180 DEGS OF TURN, AT WHICH POINT I ADDED MORE L ENG THRUST (NEVER EXCEEDING APPROX 75% N2) TO KEEP FORWARD MOMENTUM. UPON TAXI OUT, AN ACR Y PLT CALLED OVER GND FREQ AND ADVISED THAT, DUE TO 'CLOSE PROX OF PARKING,' OUR INITIAL ENG BLAST HAD CAUSED INJURIES TO THEIR PAX. WE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION OF WHAT TRANSPIRED AND THE ACR Y PLT RESPONDED THAT BECAUSE THEIR ACFT WAS PARKED SO CLOSE BEHIND OUR ACFT, OUR BLAST KNOCKED A CART OVER AND INJURED SOME OF THEIR PEOPLE. IN CONCLUSION, WHILE TAXIING OUT, THE MARSHALER'S HAND/WAND COMMANDS WERE CAREFULLY OBSERVED AND FOLLOWED AND NOT ONCE WERE THERE ANY INDICATIONS OF AN IMPENDING URGENCY TO STOP OR CHANGE OUR TAXI OUT GND PATH. THE INITIAL MOVEMENT PWR APPLICATION, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, WAS SHORT LIVED AND MINIMAL ENOUGH TO ONLY INITIATE ACFT MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO GND CREW IS CLRNC TO PROCEED FORWARD AND TURN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED NO INFO HAS BEEN RPTED ON ANY INJURIES IN THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR SAID THE DEP WAS ROUTINE WITH A MARSHALER AND 2 WING WALKERS AND NORMAL THRUST. THE RPTR STATED AT THIS ARPT THE AIRPLANES PARK PARALLEL TO THE TERMINAL GATES, ONE BEHIND THE OTHER, IN LINE. THE RPTR SAID THE PAX WALK ON THE RAMP TO BOARD THE ACFT AS THERE ARE NO JETWAYS AND NO TUGS FOR TOWING OFF THE GATES. THE RPTR STATED THAT CAUTION MUST BE USED WHEN BOARDING PAX AND PAX BOARDING MUST BE STOPPED WHEN THE ACFT PARKED IN FRONT DEPARTS.

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.