EMB120 PROP STRIKE ON CREW BAG ON RAMP DURING TAXI FROM MAINT TO GATE. PROP WAS CRACKED AND ACFT TAKEN OTS.

Date: 2002-02 · Aircraft: Brasilia EMB-120 All Series · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: ground-event-encounter-fod

Synopsis

EMB120 PROP STRIKE ON CREW BAG ON RAMP DURING TAXI FROM MAINT TO GATE. PROP WAS CRACKED AND ACFT TAKEN OTS.

Narrative

LEAVING OUR MAINT HANGAR AT XA20 TO REPOS ACFT TO THE DEP GATE. FO PERFORMED EXTERIOR PREFLT. HE HAD PLACED HIS OVERNIGHT BAG ON THE RAMP NEXT TO THE ACFT STAIRS. UPON COMPLETION OF PREFLT HE CAME UP THE STAIRS; CLOSED THE ACFT DOOR LEAVING THE BAG ON THE RAMP AHEAD OF THE L PROP. ENG START WAS NORMAL. WHEN WE STARTED TO TAXI FORWARD; THE L PROP STRUCK THE BAG. ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND OUR MAINT DEPT; FLT CTL; CHIEF PLT; AND UNION SAFETY WAS CONTACTED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MANY. THE DISRUPTION OF A COMMON ROUTINE FOR THE FO. MECHS WERE IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT; ROWS 9 AND 10; AND THAT'S WHERE HE STOWS HIS BAG. HE SAID THAT'S WHY HE LEFT HIS BAG AT THE STAIRS; ACTUALLY THE BAG WAS TO THE SIDE AND OUT OF THE WAY IN CASE THE MECHS HAD TO GO IN AND OUT OF THE ACFT. THE EARLY AM RPT MEANS UP EARLY TO ARRIVE ON TIME. I KNOW THIS FO HAS A LONG DRIVE IN FROM DAB. COULD FATIGUE BE A FACTOR FOR BOTH OF US? ACR REQUIRES THE ACFT TO BE AT THE GATE 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. IF YOU'RE LATE THAT HAS A TENDENCY TO INCREASE THE PACE EARLY IN THE MORNING. NIGHTTIME IS A FACTOR. HE NEVER SAW HIS BAG WHEN HE CLOSED THE DOOR; AND I MISSED IT WHEN I CLRED ENG #1 TO BE STARTED. THE WING INSPECTION LIGHTS; WHICH ILLUMINATE THE PROP AND WING LEADING EDGE; WERE ON. OBVIOUSLY; I NEVER SAW THE BAG. THE ACFT LOCATION WAS ON OUR UNLIGHTED W SIDE BTWN 2 TAXI LIGHTS WITH THE TAIL OVER A GRASSY AREA. THE OVERALL RAMP AREA WAS VERY CONGESTED. ALL THIS IS NO EXCUSE FOR MYSELF NOT INSISTING ON A MARSHALLER! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537483: PROP INSPECTED BY MAINT FOUND TO HAVE CRACK IN 1 BLADE.

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