Narrative:

Aircraft was not pushed back far enough by tug, which resulted in jet blast damage to a ground vehicle on departure from the gate area. Airline has sandwiched a gate, in a very tight area between the new terminal and the inner taxiway, and adequate clearance does not exist to provide enough distance behind the operating turbojet engines to preclude jet blast damage. I never used more than idle power to begin taxi, even though company policy allows up to 65% N2 in confined areas to do so. Consider that my flight was the second departure in a row from that gate on aug/mon/89 to cause jet blast damage. A contributing factor was a loose sheet metal cowling (from an aircraft undergoing repair at an adjacent gate) should never have been left where it was. It was this object that was sent flying by my jet blast into a ground vehicle. I recommend relocation of the pushback point to allow adequate clearance for jet blast. Also, maintenance should not leave such objects as cowlings where they could easily be blown into things or people.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT TAXIING FROM GATE AFTER PUSHBACK JET BLASTED LOOSE COWLING ON GND CAUSING IT TO FLY INTO A GND VEHICLE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS NOT PUSHED BACK FAR ENOUGH BY TUG, WHICH RESULTED IN JET BLAST DAMAGE TO A GND VEHICLE ON DEP FROM THE GATE AREA. AIRLINE HAS SANDWICHED A GATE, IN A VERY TIGHT AREA BETWEEN THE NEW TERMINAL AND THE INNER TXWY, AND ADEQUATE CLRNC DOES NOT EXIST TO PROVIDE ENOUGH DISTANCE BEHIND THE OPERATING TURBOJET ENGINES TO PRECLUDE JET BLAST DAMAGE. I NEVER USED MORE THAN IDLE POWER TO BEGIN TAXI, EVEN THOUGH COMPANY POLICY ALLOWS UP TO 65% N2 IN CONFINED AREAS TO DO SO. CONSIDER THAT MY FLT WAS THE SECOND DEP IN A ROW FROM THAT GATE ON AUG/MON/89 TO CAUSE JET BLAST DAMAGE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A LOOSE SHEET METAL COWLING (FROM AN ACFT UNDERGOING REPAIR AT AN ADJACENT GATE) SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN LEFT WHERE IT WAS. IT WAS THIS OBJECT THAT WAS SENT FLYING BY MY JET BLAST INTO A GND VEHICLE. I RECOMMEND RELOCATION OF THE PUSHBACK POINT TO ALLOW ADEQUATE CLRNC FOR JET BLAST. ALSO, MAINT SHOULD NOT LEAVE SUCH OBJECTS AS COWLINGS WHERE THEY COULD EASILY BE BLOWN INTO THINGS OR PEOPLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.