WDB JET BLAST KNOCKS OVER FUELER.

Date: 1994-05 · Aircraft: L-1011 Tri-Star All Series

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

WDB JET BLAST KNOCKS OVER FUELER.

Narrative

DURING TAXI TO RWY 25 AT LAX; I OVERHEARD AN ACR B OPERATOR CONTACT GND CTL AND STATE THAT 1 OF THEIR PERSONNEL HAD BEEN KNOCKED TO RAMP BY JET EXHAUST OF OUR L-1011. WE HAD JUST DEPARTED THE RAMP MINS EARLIER AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE. PUSHBACK WAS ON TO THE INNER TXWY FACING E. DUE TO A VERY LIGHT ACFT WT; I DECIDED THAT TAXI ON 1 ENG WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. (THIS WOULD SAVE FUEL AND REDUCE POLLUTION). I WAS ALSO AWARE OF COMPANY PROCS CAUTIONING AGAINST USE OF EXCESSIVE THRUST NEAR THE RAMP AREAS. LAX GND CTL ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR US TO TAXI VIA THE OUTER TXWY TO RWY 25R; AND ALSO TO GIVE WAY TO AN ACFT THAT WOULD BE ENTERING RAMP VIA TXWY 36. ONLY A SMALL INCREASE ABOVE IDLE PWR WAS NEEDED TO COMMENCE TAXI; WHICH WAS INITIALLY STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE INNER TXWY; THEN A 90 DEG R TURN ON TO TXWY 42 FOLLOWED BY A 90 DEG L TURN ONTO THE OUTER TXWY. I NEVER USED MORE THAN MINIMAL THRUST DURING TAXI. IF MINIMAL THRUST OF WDB ACFT POSES A THREAT TO GND PERSONNEL; THEN PROCS SHOULD BE CHANGED AS FOLLOWS: 1) REQUIRE USE OF ALL ENGS EXITING RAMP AREAS WITH ALL TURNS AT IDLE THRUST. 2) REQUIRE SPECIAL TAXI RTE FOR WDB SO THAT DANGER OF JET EXHAUST BE ELIMINATED.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.