Narrative:

Arrived mia on time. I got a gate delay for the gate with a reassignment to another gate. Since I didn't know the extent of the delay; I shut down the left engine to save fuel. As I approached the gate; a ramp man on a belt loader on the right side of my parking area was behind the red line as I came around the corner with the power up on the right engine. With no warning or explanation; the employee on the belt loader drove directly at the right engine of the aircraft and stopped. I jammed the brakes and stopped the aircraft and immediately called ramp control. I asked him what the belt loader was doing in front of my right engine. He said I'm here I don't know. I said he almost caused an accident and was in front of my right engine. The ramp controller said he seen him on the belt loader front of the engine. I said he is moving in front of the nose. I was using the self guide parking. The man on the belt loader moved to the left wing tip and faced south behind the red safety line. I told the ramp controller what the gentleman did was totally unsafe and requested to speak with a ramp manager. I told the ramp controller I was filing a report on the incident; as it was an intentional run at the aircraft and stopping. The crew chief meeting the flight and other ramp personnel witnessed this gentleman and the jamming of the aircraft brakes halfway through the turn. The crew chief would not give the ramp manager the belt loader driver's name. The ramp manager was debriefed on the entire incident. Fortunately; no one was hurt on the aircraft and the belt loader driver narrowly escaped injury due to my fast action. The identity of this gentleman should be revealed and action taken before someone gets hurt. This incident was totally preventable and appeared intentional.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An air carrier Captain reported taking evasive action while taxing into a MIA gate when a belt loader driver aggressively approached the aircraft's operating right engine then proceeded in front of the now stopped aircraft to the left wing.

Narrative: Arrived MIA on time. I got a gate delay for the gate with a reassignment to another gate. Since I didn't know the extent of the delay; I shut down the left engine to save fuel. As I approached the gate; a ramp man on a belt loader on the right side of my parking area was behind the red line as I came around the corner with the power up on the right engine. With no warning or explanation; the employee on the belt loader drove directly at the right engine of the aircraft and stopped. I jammed the brakes and stopped the aircraft and immediately called Ramp Control. I asked him what the belt loader was doing in front of my right engine. He said I'm here I don't know. I said he almost caused an accident and was in front of my right engine. The Ramp Controller said he seen him on the belt loader front of the engine. I said he is moving in front of the nose. I was using the self guide parking. The man on the belt loader moved to the left wing tip and faced south behind the red safety line. I told the Ramp Controller what the gentleman did was totally unsafe and requested to speak with a Ramp Manager. I told the Ramp Controller I was filing a report on the incident; as it was an intentional run at the aircraft and stopping. The crew chief meeting the flight and other ramp personnel witnessed this gentleman and the jamming of the aircraft brakes halfway through the turn. The crew chief would not give the Ramp Manager the belt loader driver's name. The Ramp Manager was debriefed on the entire incident. Fortunately; no one was hurt on the aircraft and the belt loader driver narrowly escaped injury due to my fast action. The identity of this gentleman should be revealed and action taken before someone gets hurt. This incident was totally preventable and appeared intentional.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.