B777 flight crew contacts temporary plastic barrier while taxiing at jfk.

Attributes
ACN	716686
Time
Date	200611
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
ASRS Report	716686
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We pushed and received clearance to taxi to runway 31L via taxiway TA; left on txwys B; J; hold short of runway 31L. During the left turn onto taxiway B; from the newly opened taxiway TA; an aircraft on taxiway B holding short of taxiway TA notified ground that we may have contacted one of the temporary barriers. From inside the aircraft the turn seemed normal and no indication of contact with the barrier was felt. The captain requested clearance to return to the gate. Once at the gate maintenance inspected the left main gear and the taxiway area for damage. After observing the taxiway area one of the temporary plastic barriers was damaged. Further inspection of the left main landing gear showed no significant damage. Jfk maintenance; and captain approved the aircraft airworthy and we continued onto our destination uneventfully. It is to be noted that taxiway TA is the new TA. The new taxiway opened the day before this event. The ramp supervisor that night explained to us that he had received several complaints about the placement of the new temporary plastic barriers from other aircrews. On one occasion some of the barriers were blown away from jet blast. Ramp requested the ny port authority/authorized to reposition the barriers the day before our event but no action was taken by them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW CONTACTS TEMPORARY PLASTIC BARRIER WHILE TAXIING AT JFK.

Narrative: WE PUSHED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 31L VIA TXWY TA; L ON TXWYS B; J; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 31L. DURING THE L TURN ONTO TXWY B; FROM THE NEWLY OPENED TXWY TA; AN ACFT ON TXWY B HOLDING SHORT OF TXWY TA NOTIFIED GND THAT WE MAY HAVE CONTACTED ONE OF THE TEMPORARY BARRIERS. FROM INSIDE THE ACFT THE TURN SEEMED NORMAL AND NO INDICATION OF CONTACT WITH THE BARRIER WAS FELT. THE CAPT REQUESTED CLRNC TO RETURN TO THE GATE. ONCE AT THE GATE MAINT INSPECTED THE L MAIN GEAR AND THE TXWY AREA FOR DAMAGE. AFTER OBSERVING THE TXWY AREA ONE OF THE TEMPORARY PLASTIC BARRIERS WAS DAMAGED. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. JFK MAINT; AND CAPT APPROVED THE ACFT AIRWORTHY AND WE CONTINUED ONTO OUR DEST UNEVENTFULLY. IT IS TO BE NOTED THAT TXWY TA IS THE NEW TA. THE NEW TXWY OPENED THE DAY BEFORE THIS EVENT. THE RAMP SUPVR THAT NIGHT EXPLAINED TO US THAT HE HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF THE NEW TEMPORARY PLASTIC BARRIERS FROM OTHER AIRCREWS. ON ONE OCCASION SOME OF THE BARRIERS WERE BLOWN AWAY FROM JET BLAST. RAMP REQUESTED THE NY PORT AUTH TO REPOSITION THE BARRIERS THE DAY BEFORE OUR EVENT BUT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THEM.

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.