DURING GATE DEP; JET BLAST CAUSES DAMAGE TO PAX LOADING BRIDGE.

Narrative

BNA IS USUALLY A PWRBACK TAXI OP. I ASKED FOR A R TURN OUT OF PARKING USING 1 ENG TO TAXI. THIS WAS COORDINATED WITH THE BNA OPS PERSONNEL. AFTER WE WERE READY TO DEPART; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT 2 PAX HAD BEEN LEFT STANDING IN THE BOARDING AREA. I INSISTED WE WOULD NOT LEAVE UNTIL THOSE PEOPLE HAD BEEN BOARDED. AS SOON AS THE PAX WERE SEATED; I BEGAN TO FOLLOW THE TAXI COORDINATOR'S SIGNALS AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A ROUTINE DEP. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE; THE BNA OPS PERSONNEL ADVISED US OF JET BLAST DAMAGE TO THE JETWAY WITH NO CONTACT BTWN THE ACFT AND JETWAY. IN RETROSPECT; I REMEMBER THE JETWAY WAS STILL BACKING UP AS I BEGAN MY TAXI TURNOUT. PERHAPS THE FACT THE JETWAY WAS NOT STOWED ALL THE WAY AGAINST THE TERMINAL CAUSED THE EXPOSURE TO JET BLAST. THE ACFT WAS AT NEAR IDLE THRUST AS THE TAIL WAS TURNING TOWARD THE JETWAY AND TERMINAL. HASTE TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME CERTAINLY LED THE GND PERSONNEL TO RUSH GETTING THE ACFT MOVEMENT UNDERWAY. MY RELIANCE ON THE SIGNALS LED ME TO DISREGARD MY 'GUT FEELING' THE JETWAY WAS TOO CLOSE. NEXT TIME THE 'GUT FEELING WILL WEIGH HEAVILY.'