A C172 IS BLOWN OVER ON ITS NOSE AND L WINGTIP BY A JET BLAST ENCOUNTER FROM A B737 MOVING AWAY FROM THE NEXT TXWY DURING A NIGHT OP AT BHM; AL.

Narrative

WHILE TAXIING TO TIE DOWN AREA; I WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24 AT TXWY 'F'. AS I MOVED TO TXWY F/RWY 24; I NOTICED ACFT #2; A B737; HOLDING ON TXWY 'A'. AS I CIRCLED AROUND BEHIND ACFT #2; I NOTICED ITS PROX TO TXWY 'F'. HOWEVER; I FELT THAT I COULD AVOID ITS EXHAUST. I STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 24; ENSURING THAT I WAS TO THE SIDE OF THE EXHAUST PATH. I STOPPED ABOUT 100 FT BEHIND ACFT #2; OUTBOARD OF THE L WINGTIP; AT A 45 DEG ANGLE AWAY FROM THE B737; SO THAT THE L ENG WAS ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK POS FROM ME. WHEN ACFT #2 INCREASED PWR TO TAXI; I FELT THE EXHAUST AGAINST MY PLANE; AND TRIED TO APPLY CTL CORRECTION TO COUNTER. DESPITE THIS; I WAS BLOWN OVER ONTO MY L WINGTIP AND NOSE; RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE; AND ENG STOPPAGE; AND DAMAGE TO THE L WING. AFTER ACFT #2 MOVED AWAY; MY PLANE SETTLED BACK ON ITS GEAR. I IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF JET ACTIVITY AROUND ME. THE GUSTY SE WIND BLEW THE EXHAUST STREAM AGAINST MY PLANE; WHICH; I BELIEVE WAS THE DIRECT CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE DARKNESS; AND HIGH LEVEL OF HVY ACFT ACTIVITY. IF FACED WITH THE SAME SIT AGAIN; I CAN EITHER STOP BEFORE GETTING BEHIND THE HVY; OR POINT THE NOSE OF MY PLANE TOWARD THE EXHAUST; ALLOWING CTL TO BE MAINTAINED.