AN MD90 PIC TAXIES HIS ACFT INTO A MAINT VEHICLE WHEN ATTEMPTING A 1 ENG TAXI BACK INTO THE GATE AFTER PUSHBACK AND DISCOVERY OF AN ACFT EQUIP FAULT AT LAX; CA.

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MD90 ACFT BROUGHT TO GATE FROM HANGAR. APU GENERATOR AND L AIR CONDITIONING PACK PLACARDED INOP. DURING MY INITIAL BRIEF TO FO; I STATED WE WOULD NOT RUSH. I DO NOT FEEL WE DID. DUE TO INOP APU; GENERATOR STARTED L ENG AT GATE. DURING START OF R ENG; FO NOTICED L REVERSER FAULT LIGHT ANNUNCIATION. PUSH CREW WAS DISCONNECTED PER PROC; RECEIVING SALUTE AND DISPLAY OF BYPASS PIN. QRH STATED MAINT ACTION REQUIRED. FO CONTACTED MAINT; KEPT ACFT PARKED IN ALLEYWAY. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING WITH MAINT VIA VHF; ANOTHER MAINT TECHNICIAN APCHED ACFT IN A SMALL MAINT VEHICLE INDICATING HE WAS HOOKING UP TO INTERPHONE. WITH MAINT PROB NOT RESOLVED; ALL PARTIES AGREED WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO GATE. I STATED TO THE MAINT TECHNICIAN ON THE INTERPHONE 'I AGREE; WE WILL GO BACK TO THE GATE; SEE YOU AT THE GATE.' FO OBTAINED TAXI CLRNC BACK TO GATE. I DISCUSSED WITH FO IF WE HAD ENOUGH ROOM FOR A DIRECT L TURN BACK TO THE GATE. WE BOTH AGREED WE DID. TURNING L; I FELT THE NOSEWHEEL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY GO OVER CTR ALL THE WAY L. NOSE TILLER WAS FROZEN; AND ACFT BEGAN TO GO TO THE R. I APPLIED BRAKES; LOOKED L AND THEN SAW THE MAINT CART AND TECHNICIAN; AND REALIZED WE HAD HIT THE CART; CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO OVER CTR. UNSURE IF MAINT TECHNICIAN WAS INJURED; WE SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AND CALLED PARAMEDICS AND NOTIFIED OPS. OTHER THAN THE INITIAL BRIEF GLIMPSE OF THE MAINT CART; NEITHER THE CART NOR THE TECHNICIAN WERE VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT. I ASSUMED MY LAST CONVERSATION HAD CLRED HIM OFF. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ENSURE ALL VEHICLES ARE EITHER VISIBLE TO ME OR A SECOND SAFETY PERSON IS VISIBLE TO ME FROM THE COCKPIT JUST AS WE DO FOR PUSHBACK PROCS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 482152: I CONTACTED LAX GND CTL AND TOLD THEM WE NEEDED TO HOLD IN THE ALLEY TO TROUBLESHOOT A PROB. WE READ THE QRH PROC FOR REVERSER FAULT AND IT STATED THAT MAINT ACTION IS REQUIRED. I CONTACTED MAINT. GND CTL CALLED; SO CAPT COORDINATED WITH MAINT WHILE I COORDINATED WITH GND CTL. I WAS NOT MONITORING ICS NOR MAINT. I ASKED GND TO SEND PARAMEDICS. THEY NEVER MADE IT TO THE AIRPLANE AND OUR GND PERSONNEL TOOK THE MAINT TECHNICIAN TO MEDICAL. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE GATE.