Narrative:

We were involved in an aircraft swap. I arrived at the jetway just as the aircraft was coming in. I went down to complete my preflight and as the clear to enter the safety zone signal was given; I proceeded to the nosewheel. The ramp agent was having some trouble attaching the tow bar and I attempted to help her. After a short struggle with it; she got it hooked and I stood to move aft for the rest of my preflight. As I stood; I heard a scream and saw the agent at the forward bin pinned between the belt loader and the airplane. He was on his back on the belt with his feet under the aircraft and his chest pinned by the reinforced portion of the skin below the forward cargo door. I motioned for the other 2 agents to help and the female moved the belt back as the other man held the injured agent as he fell off of the belt as it was backed. Initially; I was unsure if he was seriously hurt as there was space between the loader and the airplane. However; he was clearly unconscious. I went to the jetway and told the operations agent and the crew member in the jetway to call the paramedics as someone had been hurt. The paramedics arrived (after what seemed like an eternity) and he was eventually transported by ambulance. I completed my preflight and noted no damage to the area around the forward bin. I was not concerned as the equipment had never contacted the fuselage. We completed our preflight duties and flew an uneventful leg. Upon arrival; the operations agent told the captain that he was to call maintenance control. He did so and was asked if a belt loader had hit the airplane and why was maintenance not notified. The captain stated that the belt loader had not touched the airplane and did not feel that it was necessary as there was clearly no damage. We spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out how the agent got himself in that position. I think that the drama of the scene was a distraction especially for me as I continued to see this guy in my head pinned between the jet and the belt. I must admit that calling maintenance had not occurred to me as I was concerned as to the health of the injured man. I paid special attention to the area under the cargo door and it was in excellent condition with a noticeable lack of the usual small dents. I believe damage would have been very apparent. Supplemental information from acn 695904: after I got to the plane; I went down to see what happened. My first officer states somehow the ramper got pinned between the bin and a belt loader. He said the belt loader never touched the plane. While talking to others on the ramp and the ramper that moved the loader; they said no equipment touched the plane. We looked at the bottom of the bin and didn't see anything. While getting ready for the flight; a pilot insisted the belt loader hit the plane and maintenance needs to check it out. I told him it didn't and he insisted that it did. This is what he was told.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW RPTED THAT A RAMP AGENT WAS TRAPPED BTWN THE BAG LOADER AND ACFT AND WAS UNCONSCIOUS. EMS WAS NOTIFIED AND THE INDIVIDUAL WAS TAKEN AWAY.

Narrative: WE WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACFT SWAP. I ARRIVED AT THE JETWAY JUST AS THE ACFT WAS COMING IN. I WENT DOWN TO COMPLETE MY PREFLT AND AS THE CLR TO ENTER THE SAFETY ZONE SIGNAL WAS GIVEN; I PROCEEDED TO THE NOSEWHEEL. THE RAMP AGENT WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE ATTACHING THE TOW BAR AND I ATTEMPTED TO HELP HER. AFTER A SHORT STRUGGLE WITH IT; SHE GOT IT HOOKED AND I STOOD TO MOVE AFT FOR THE REST OF MY PREFLT. AS I STOOD; I HEARD A SCREAM AND SAW THE AGENT AT THE FORWARD BIN PINNED BTWN THE BELT LOADER AND THE AIRPLANE. HE WAS ON HIS BACK ON THE BELT WITH HIS FEET UNDER THE ACFT AND HIS CHEST PINNED BY THE REINFORCED PORTION OF THE SKIN BELOW THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. I MOTIONED FOR THE OTHER 2 AGENTS TO HELP AND THE FEMALE MOVED THE BELT BACK AS THE OTHER MAN HELD THE INJURED AGENT AS HE FELL OFF OF THE BELT AS IT WAS BACKED. INITIALLY; I WAS UNSURE IF HE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT AS THERE WAS SPACE BTWN THE LOADER AND THE AIRPLANE. HOWEVER; HE WAS CLRLY UNCONSCIOUS. I WENT TO THE JETWAY AND TOLD THE OPS AGENT AND THE CREW MEMBER IN THE JETWAY TO CALL THE PARAMEDICS AS SOMEONE HAD BEEN HURT. THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED (AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY) AND HE WAS EVENTUALLY TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE. I COMPLETED MY PREFLT AND NOTED NO DAMAGE TO THE AREA AROUND THE FORWARD BIN. I WAS NOT CONCERNED AS THE EQUIP HAD NEVER CONTACTED THE FUSELAGE. WE COMPLETED OUR PREFLT DUTIES AND FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL LEG. UPON ARR; THE OPS AGENT TOLD THE CAPT THAT HE WAS TO CALL MAINT CTL. HE DID SO AND WAS ASKED IF A BELT LOADER HAD HIT THE AIRPLANE AND WHY WAS MAINT NOT NOTIFIED. THE CAPT STATED THAT THE BELT LOADER HAD NOT TOUCHED THE AIRPLANE AND DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WAS NECESSARY AS THERE WAS CLRLY NO DAMAGE. WE SPENT THE REST OF THE EVENING TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE AGENT GOT HIMSELF IN THAT POS. I THINK THAT THE DRAMA OF THE SCENE WAS A DISTR ESPECIALLY FOR ME AS I CONTINUED TO SEE THIS GUY IN MY HEAD PINNED BTWN THE JET AND THE BELT. I MUST ADMIT THAT CALLING MAINT HAD NOT OCCURRED TO ME AS I WAS CONCERNED AS TO THE HEALTH OF THE INJURED MAN. I PAID SPECIAL ATTN TO THE AREA UNDER THE CARGO DOOR AND IT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH A NOTICEABLE LACK OF THE USUAL SMALL DENTS. I BELIEVE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY APPARENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 695904: AFTER I GOT TO THE PLANE; I WENT DOWN TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. MY FO STATES SOMEHOW THE RAMPER GOT PINNED BTWN THE BIN AND A BELT LOADER. HE SAID THE BELT LOADER NEVER TOUCHED THE PLANE. WHILE TALKING TO OTHERS ON THE RAMP AND THE RAMPER THAT MOVED THE LOADER; THEY SAID NO EQUIP TOUCHED THE PLANE. WE LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BIN AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. WHILE GETTING READY FOR THE FLT; A PLT INSISTED THE BELT LOADER HIT THE PLANE AND MAINT NEEDS TO CHK IT OUT. I TOLD HIM IT DIDN'T AND HE INSISTED THAT IT DID. THIS IS WHAT HE WAS TOLD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.