Narrative:

We park in the alley to wait for ground personnel to remove blocking equipment. 2 items were blocking the gate: 1) maintenance was parked at the next gate and had partially blocked the gate with the oxygen tanks in a cart -- rampies unattached the cart from the maintenance truck and pushed the cart out of the way. 2) the tug was too far forward and it was moved out of the way. We pulled in to the parking spot. Set the parking brake. Feathered the right engine. While in the process of feathering the left engine; heard a loud boom over my left shoulder; by the left engine. I turned to look and saw a large tan garbage bag flying in the air near the left engine with debris (garbage) flying everywhere. The bag got tangled up in a rampie standing nearby. Also saw an additional rampie and a mechanic standing nearby. Shut down the engines as normal. Went outside to discuss the event with ground personnel and the mechanic. FOD definitely hit the propeller; and exploded the garbage bag. Uncertain at this time if garbage debris impacted the engine. Discussed this incident with the mechanic standing nearby. He wrote up the issue in the log. FOD was obviously on the ramp. Prior to pulling into the gate; neither myself or the first officer saw any FOD. Very surprised to see the garbage bag FOD while feathering the left engine. Uncertain where the FOD came from.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FLT CREW REPORTS PLASTIC TRASH BAG BEING SUCKED INTO PROP AS ENGINE IS FEATHERED AT THE GATE.

Narrative: WE PARK IN THE ALLEY TO WAIT FOR GND PERSONNEL TO REMOVE BLOCKING EQUIP. 2 ITEMS WERE BLOCKING THE GATE: 1) MAINT WAS PARKED AT THE NEXT GATE AND HAD PARTIALLY BLOCKED THE GATE WITH THE OXYGEN TANKS IN A CART -- RAMPIES UNATTACHED THE CART FROM THE MAINT TRUCK AND PUSHED THE CART OUT OF THE WAY. 2) THE TUG WAS TOO FAR FORWARD AND IT WAS MOVED OUT OF THE WAY. WE PULLED IN TO THE PARKING SPOT. SET THE PARKING BRAKE. FEATHERED THE R ENG. WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF FEATHERING THE L ENG; HEARD A LOUD BOOM OVER MY L SHOULDER; BY THE L ENG. I TURNED TO LOOK AND SAW A LARGE TAN GARBAGE BAG FLYING IN THE AIR NEAR THE L ENG WITH DEBRIS (GARBAGE) FLYING EVERYWHERE. THE BAG GOT TANGLED UP IN A RAMPIE STANDING NEARBY. ALSO SAW AN ADDITIONAL RAMPIE AND A MECH STANDING NEARBY. SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AS NORMAL. WENT OUTSIDE TO DISCUSS THE EVENT WITH GND PERSONNEL AND THE MECH. FOD DEFINITELY HIT THE PROP; AND EXPLODED THE GARBAGE BAG. UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME IF GARBAGE DEBRIS IMPACTED THE ENG. DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT WITH THE MECH STANDING NEARBY. HE WROTE UP THE ISSUE IN THE LOG. FOD WAS OBVIOUSLY ON THE RAMP. PRIOR TO PULLING INTO THE GATE; NEITHER MYSELF OR THE FO SAW ANY FOD. VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE GARBAGE BAG FOD WHILE FEATHERING THE L ENG. UNCERTAIN WHERE THE FOD CAME FROM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.