Jet Blast From Taxiing Aircraft Injures Ramp Serviceman (N155DL)

Incident Details

The flightcrew was taxiing the airplane toward the gate when they stopped to await a required third wingwalker. During the pause, several ground vehicles traversed behind the aircraft along a vehicle service road. Upon the arrival of the third wingwalker, a ramp serviceman was operating a tug on the same service road. As the tug passed behind the airplane, the flightcrew resumed taxiing toward the gate. The resulting jet blast displaced an empty container that the tug was towing. In the attempt to recover the container, the ramp serviceman was also knocked to the ground by the blast.

Injuries and Regulations

The serviceman sustained head injuries and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Local port authority regulations explicitly prohibited ground vehicles from operating behind an aircraft with its engines running. However, the port authority did not issue any citations to the serviceman for violating this rule.