Narrative:

While pushing back I heard several loud bangs. As I looked out my left window the tug driver stopped the pushback. I saw several cargo containers tumbling toward my aircraft. I also noticed a B757 was leaving the ramp area and the tail pipes of that B757 were pointed directly at the cargo containers and my plane. I assume the B757's jetblast blew the containers off the tug train; which was traveling sebound on the adjacent roadway. The winds in ZZZ were reported out of 330 degrees and would have blown the containers away from my plane. Fortunately; the containers never made contact with my aircraft. The closest one came to rest approximately 10 ft from my left wingtip. Also the containers appeared to be empty; as a couple rampers were able to lift them back onto their cart by hand. At one point my left wing walker positioned himself in front of one of the tumbling containers as if to try and stop it from hitting my aircraft. First and foremost; I see absolutely no reason for my wing walker to have tried to stop a container from hitting my plane. While I appreciate his concern for my aircraft; I do not think the risk he took justifies the potential reward. Planes can obviously be fixed! Serious injuries and potential loss of life cannot. I don't know the weight of those containers; but I'm guessing the human body will stand little chance against just about anything being propelled by jetblast. Clearly; all employees; rampers; gate agents; pilots; etc; need to understand that their health and welfare must be placed far above a few fixable dents in an airplane. 'Safety first' should be emphasized at all training events for all airport personnel! Second; I am surprised at how easily those containers came off their carts. It appeared that gravity is the only force holding these things in place. If this is in fact the case and not improper loading; perhaps the tug driver was a little too anxious in his decision to cross behind an aircraft under power. I see a couple factors that need to be reviewed regarding this issue. What is the proper loading and securing techniques for cargo containers and can they be improved? What are the protocols for tug driver crossing behind taxiing aircraft and could they be improved?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO CONTAINERS BLOWN TOWARD HIS AIRPLANE BY A TAXIING B757 CAUSES E145 CAPTAIN TO BE CONCERNED FOR SAFETY OF RAMP PERSONNEL.

Narrative: WHILE PUSHING BACK I HEARD SEVERAL LOUD BANGS. AS I LOOKED OUT MY L WINDOW THE TUG DRIVER STOPPED THE PUSHBACK. I SAW SEVERAL CARGO CONTAINERS TUMBLING TOWARD MY ACFT. I ALSO NOTICED A B757 WAS LEAVING THE RAMP AREA AND THE TAIL PIPES OF THAT B757 WERE POINTED DIRECTLY AT THE CARGO CONTAINERS AND MY PLANE. I ASSUME THE B757'S JETBLAST BLEW THE CONTAINERS OFF THE TUG TRAIN; WHICH WAS TRAVELING SEBOUND ON THE ADJACENT ROADWAY. THE WINDS IN ZZZ WERE RPTED OUT OF 330 DEGS AND WOULD HAVE BLOWN THE CONTAINERS AWAY FROM MY PLANE. FORTUNATELY; THE CONTAINERS NEVER MADE CONTACT WITH MY ACFT. THE CLOSEST ONE CAME TO REST APPROX 10 FT FROM MY L WINGTIP. ALSO THE CONTAINERS APPEARED TO BE EMPTY; AS A COUPLE RAMPERS WERE ABLE TO LIFT THEM BACK ONTO THEIR CART BY HAND. AT ONE POINT MY L WING WALKER POSITIONED HIMSELF IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE TUMBLING CONTAINERS AS IF TO TRY AND STOP IT FROM HITTING MY ACFT. FIRST AND FOREMOST; I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR MY WING WALKER TO HAVE TRIED TO STOP A CONTAINER FROM HITTING MY PLANE. WHILE I APPRECIATE HIS CONCERN FOR MY ACFT; I DO NOT THINK THE RISK HE TOOK JUSTIFIES THE POTENTIAL REWARD. PLANES CAN OBVIOUSLY BE FIXED! SERIOUS INJURIES AND POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE CANNOT. I DON'T KNOW THE WT OF THOSE CONTAINERS; BUT I'M GUESSING THE HUMAN BODY WILL STAND LITTLE CHANCE AGAINST JUST ABOUT ANYTHING BEING PROPELLED BY JETBLAST. CLEARLY; ALL EMPLOYEES; RAMPERS; GATE AGENTS; PLTS; ETC; NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR HEALTH AND WELFARE MUST BE PLACED FAR ABOVE A FEW FIXABLE DENTS IN AN AIRPLANE. 'SAFETY FIRST' SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED AT ALL TRAINING EVENTS FOR ALL ARPT PERSONNEL! SECOND; I AM SURPRISED AT HOW EASILY THOSE CONTAINERS CAME OFF THEIR CARTS. IT APPEARED THAT GRAVITY IS THE ONLY FORCE HOLDING THESE THINGS IN PLACE. IF THIS IS IN FACT THE CASE AND NOT IMPROPER LOADING; PERHAPS THE TUG DRIVER WAS A LITTLE TOO ANXIOUS IN HIS DECISION TO CROSS BEHIND AN ACFT UNDER PWR. I SEE A COUPLE FACTORS THAT NEED TO BE REVIEWED REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WHAT IS THE PROPER LOADING AND SECURING TECHNIQUES FOR CARGO CONTAINERS AND CAN THEY BE IMPROVED? WHAT ARE THE PROTOCOLS FOR TUG DRIVER XING BEHIND TAXIING ACFT AND COULD THEY BE IMPROVED?

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.