ACR MDT HIT GND POWER UNIT TAXIING AWAY FROM THE RAMP AREA.

Narrative

CAPT AND I WERE INFORMED BY CREW SCHEDULING TO CALL OUR ORD MAINT BASE AND GET A HIGH SPD TAXI TOGETHER. WE HAD JUST FINISHED A 13 HR SHIFT AND WE STAYED ON DUTY TO DO THIS. MAINT HAD A GND PWR UNIT PLUGGED IN. MAINT DID NOT START US UP OR EVEN GO WITH US FOR THE TEST RUN. (THEY WERE TOO BUSY.) WHEN WE FINALLY HAD A RAMP PERSON COME TO OUR RAMP AND START US CAPT GAVE HIM SIGNALS TO PULL THE CHOCKS; DISCONNECT THE GPU AND REMOVE IT; WITH HIS TUG. THE RAMP PERSON SALUTED HIM AS TO SAY HE WAS CLRED TO TAXI. MY CAPT HAD ASKED ME TO CLR THE RIGHT SIDE; AND I DOUBLECHKED TO SEE IF THE GPU WAS DISCONNECTED. I LOOKED TO MY RIGHT AND CLRED THE AREA. AFTER CAPT ROLLED OVER THE CHOCKS. I THEN LOOKED UP AGAIN AT THE GPU PANEL AND THE PANEL SHOWED THAT THE GPU WAS DISCONNECTED. WITHIN 2 SECS AFTER I SAW THE PANEL--WE HIT THE GPU. THE RAMP PERSON DID NOT PULL IT AWAY FROM THE ACFT. THE GPU WAS ALSO IN A POS; VERY NEAR AND LOW; NEXT TO THE AIRPLANE WHERE I COULD NOT SEE IT. THE RAMP PERSON THOUGHT WE WERE ONLY DOING A RUN UP. HE CALLED INTO OPS AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS ONLY A RUNUP AND ALSO MAINT NEVER TOLD OPS THAT THE ACFT WAS TO TAXI OUT TO THE RWY. I WAS TOLD THAT ORD COMPANY RAMP PROCS ALLOW A GPU TO BE DISCONNECTED BUT NOT REMOVED. I WAS RECENTLY TRANSFERRED TO ORD FROM DTW AND NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. I DID NOT SEE THE GPU AND I NEVER HAD ANY DOUBTS IN MY MIND THAT A GPU WOULD STILL BE IN FRONT OF A PROP EVEN IF IT WAS DISCONNECTED. I FEEL THAT A LACK OF PROCS AND NO COM BTWN THE MAINT DEPT; OPS AND RAMP PERSONNEL PLAYED A MAJOR PART OF THIS COLLISION.