Narrative:

We boarded 12 passengers at gate for cmh. After about 15 seconds of taxi time we - our aircraft impacted - a light pole with its left wingtip. There were no injuries and we taxied back to the same gate. Also, there was no damage to the pole and minor damage to the windtip - which is going to involve replacing the lights and a section of sheet metal. My activities during the incident follow: all checklists were accomplished and engines started normally - we received taxi clearance and the after start 'before taxi' checklist was completed. As we started to taxi under the direction of one signalman I opened the cockpit door to tell the senior F/a that the signal chime had not worked and we were beginning to taxi, I also stated to her what procedures to follow if the chime stayed inoperative. As I turned back around I saw just clear ramp and about 3 seconds later we impacted the pole. The captain had to open his window to verify this fact and also to see the signalmen who did not follow the aircraft during the turnout.supplemental information from acn 83675: the ambiguity of the yellow arc lines plus the relocation first officer airport structures further into the ramp taxi area should have mandated one or more of the following: 1)oral briefing of captain by signalman, 2)a second signalman to the right. 3)total obliteration adherence to inner arc was mandatory to effect safe clearance (see attached airport diagram) 5)pushback gate only. Supplemental information from acn 83675: it was only latter that I learned that the outer taxi clear line was in fact the olc taxi line before the wall and pole were erected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: this particular gate is normally used by all medium large transport, but the restrictive turn and hazards still apply. The wall is temporary and could easily be moved to put the large transport standards behind which the reporter feels would alert the pilot to the hazard. This is strictly a taxi out gate and the turn must begin immediately and a full hard right. He was back through the airport a couple days later and noted the outer taxi line, which was the old line, has been painted out which will help eliminate the confusion. No cross hatch painting on the light poles indicating a hazard and the company has posted no information in dispatch as to the problem departing this gate. The concrete barrier is used to protect ground equipment, designated parking area. No information as to why the company does not use two guidemen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXI OUT FROM GATE, L WINGTIP STRUCK LIGHT STANDARD.

Narrative: WE BOARDED 12 PASSENGERS AT GATE FOR CMH. AFTER ABOUT 15 SECONDS OF TAXI TIME WE - OUR ACFT IMPACTED - A LIGHT POLE WITH ITS LEFT WINGTIP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND WE TAXIED BACK TO THE SAME GATE. ALSO, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE POLE AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WINDTIP - WHICH IS GOING TO INVOLVE REPLACING THE LIGHTS AND A SECTION OF SHEET METAL. MY ACTIVITIES DURING THE INCIDENT FOLLOW: ALL CHECKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND ENGINES STARTED NORMALLY - WE RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND THE AFTER START 'BEFORE TAXI' CHECKLIST WAS COMPLETED. AS WE STARTED TO TAXI UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ONE SIGNALMAN I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR TO TELL THE SENIOR F/A THAT THE SIGNAL CHIME HAD NOT WORKED AND WE WERE BEGINNING TO TAXI, I ALSO STATED TO HER WHAT PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW IF THE CHIME STAYED INOPERATIVE. AS I TURNED BACK AROUND I SAW JUST CLEAR RAMP AND ABOUT 3 SECONDS LATER WE IMPACTED THE POLE. THE CAPT HAD TO OPEN HIS WINDOW TO VERIFY THIS FACT AND ALSO TO SEE THE SIGNALMEN WHO DID NOT FOLLOW THE ACFT DURING THE TURNOUT.SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 83675: THE AMBIGUITY OF THE YELLOW ARC LINES PLUS THE RELOCATION FO ARPT STRUCTURES FURTHER INTO THE RAMP TAXI AREA SHOULD HAVE MANDATED ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1)ORAL BRIEFING OF CAPT BY SIGNALMAN, 2)A SECOND SIGNALMAN TO THE RIGHT. 3)TOTAL OBLITERATION ADHERENCE TO INNER ARC WAS MANDATORY TO EFFECT SAFE CLRNC (SEE ATTACHED ARPT DIAGRAM) 5)PUSHBACK GATE ONLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 83675: IT WAS ONLY LATTER THAT I LEARNED THAT THE OUTER TAXI CLEAR LINE WAS IN FACT THE OLC TAXI LINE BEFORE THE WALL AND POLE WERE ERECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THIS PARTICULAR GATE IS NORMALLY USED BY ALL MLG, BUT THE RESTRICTIVE TURN AND HAZARDS STILL APPLY. THE WALL IS TEMPORARY AND COULD EASILY BE MOVED TO PUT THE LGT STANDARDS BEHIND WHICH THE RPTR FEELS WOULD ALERT THE PLT TO THE HAZARD. THIS IS STRICTLY A TAXI OUT GATE AND THE TURN MUST BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AND A FULL HARD RIGHT. HE WAS BACK THROUGH THE ARPT A COUPLE DAYS LATER AND NOTED THE OUTER TAXI LINE, WHICH WAS THE OLD LINE, HAS BEEN PAINTED OUT WHICH WILL HELP ELIMINATE THE CONFUSION. NO CROSS HATCH PAINTING ON THE LIGHT POLES INDICATING A HAZARD AND THE COMPANY HAS POSTED NO INFORMATION IN DISPATCH AS TO THE PROBLEM DEPARTING THIS GATE. THE CONCRETE BARRIER IS USED TO PROTECT GND EQUIPMENT, DESIGNATED PARKING AREA. NO INFORMATION AS TO WHY THE COMPANY DOES NOT USE TWO GUIDEMEN.

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