CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; A300; BOS-MIA. LUGGAGE LOADING TRUCK HIT PLANE; GEAR DOOR WOULDN'T CLOSE INFLT. DIVERT TO JFK FOR TWR VISUAL. PLANE TAKEN OTS.

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WE BOARDED FLT XX BOS-MIA JAN/XA/00 AT APPROX XA00. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER WE BOARDED; THE PLANE WAS 'HIT' ON THE R SIDE BY A CARGO LOADER. IT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK US OFF BAL IN THE CABIN. A MECH WAS ON BOARD AND IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF TO CHK IT OUT. HE CAME BACK A FEW MINS LATER AND SAID IT WAS OK. THE COCKPIT WAS ALSO ADVISED OF THE 'HIT.' AT DEP; THE GND CREW COULD NOT GET A CARGO DOOR CLOSED. I ASSUME IT WAS IN THE AREA THAT TOOK THE 'HIT;' BUT DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. WE TOOK A 45 MIN DELAY CLOSING THE DOOR. AS THE PLANE ROTATED OFF THE GND; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. A CONTINUING VIBRATION AND NOISE WAS PRESENT LONG AFTER THE GEAR WAS UP. THE CAPT QUICKLY ADVISED THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WHAT THE PROB WAS. THE GEAR DOOR ON THE R SIDE DID NOT CLOSE. WE DIVERTED TO JFK BECAUSE OF BETTER FIELD CONDITIONS AND PAX FACILITIES. WE MADE 3 LOW PASSES BY THE TWR TO DETERMINE DAMAGE; IF ANY. THE GEAR LOOKED GOOD BUT THE GEAR DOOR WAS FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS AFTER TKOF. WE HAD 2 PAX REQUIRE OXYGEN DURING THE LAST 20 MINS OF THE FLT; AS WELL AS SEVERAL CHILDREN AND ADULTS VOMITING. NERVES I GUESS. THERE WAS SOME TURB; BUT NOTHING SEVERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE PLTS AND PAX WEREN'T ON BOARD WHEN THE CARGO LOADER HIT THE PLANE. WHEN THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO JFK; HE TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PREPARE THE PAX FOR AN EMER EVAC IF THE FLY-BY OVER THE TWR DETERMINED INSIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. MANY PAX WERE SCARED AND 2 WOMEN HAD CHEST PAINS. WHEN THEY LANDED; THEY WERE MET BY FIRE TRUCKS AND PARAMEDICS AT A REMOTE PART OF THE ARPT. PARAMEDICS BOARDED THROUGH THE BACK AND ADMINISTERED TO THE 2 WOMEN. THE PARAMEDICS STAYED ON BOARD THE PLANE WHILE THEY WERE TOWED TO THE ARPT GATE. THE AIRLINE HAD A PLANE WAITING FOR THEM AT THE NEXT GATE TO TAKE THE TRIP ON TO MIAMI. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS FOR MAINT.