Narrative:

After pushing back from gate at atl's hartsfield airport, the ramp tower (which controls the ramp area) cleared our flight to taxi to the far west side of the ramp in order to exit the ramp area and to get in line for departure on runway 8R. There was a widebody transport positioned on the east side of the ramp in the vicinity of gate. To taxi to the west side of the ramp and clear the widebody transport to the south, it was necessary to make a hard left turn of more than 90 degrees from a dead stop where the tug had pushed the aircraft and disconnected. In making the turn, I used no more than 1.2 EPR on the left engine (the only one running), but had to leave power on until completing the turn instead of retarding to idle during the turn. In making this turn, some baggage carts near gate were blown into a ramp worker, injuring him. Since the ramp tower controls the ramp, and the tower operators should be familiar enough with operations to control it safely, this type of problem can only be avoided by the tower operator seeing the potential for such an accident and clearing aircraft accordingly. Simply put, there was no way for me to comply with taxi instructions given using any less power or less turn. Further, I cannot clear the area behind the aircraft or out of my field of view. This is one reason we have a ramp tower in the first place. The tower controllers should not issue instructions that place an aircraft's exhaust facing personnel or equipment on the ramp unless it can be done at idle power.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BAGGAGE CART BLOWN INTO CGP WHEN ACFT ATTEMPTED 90 DEGREE TURN AFTER PUSHBACK.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHING BACK FROM GATE AT ATL'S HARTSFIELD ARPT, THE RAMP TWR (WHICH CTLS THE RAMP AREA) CLRED OUR FLT TO TAXI TO THE FAR W SIDE OF THE RAMP IN ORDER TO EXIT THE RAMP AREA AND TO GET IN LINE FOR DEP ON RWY 8R. THERE WAS A WDB POSITIONED ON THE E SIDE OF THE RAMP IN THE VICINITY OF GATE. TO TAXI TO THE W SIDE OF THE RAMP AND CLR THE WDB TO THE S, IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE A HARD LEFT TURN OF MORE THAN 90 DEGS FROM A DEAD STOP WHERE THE TUG HAD PUSHED THE ACFT AND DISCONNECTED. IN MAKING THE TURN, I USED NO MORE THAN 1.2 EPR ON THE LEFT ENG (THE ONLY ONE RUNNING), BUT HAD TO LEAVE PWR ON UNTIL COMPLETING THE TURN INSTEAD OF RETARDING TO IDLE DURING THE TURN. IN MAKING THIS TURN, SOME BAGGAGE CARTS NEAR GATE WERE BLOWN INTO A RAMP WORKER, INJURING HIM. SINCE THE RAMP TWR CTLS THE RAMP, AND THE TWR OPERATORS SHOULD BE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH OPS TO CTL IT SAFELY, THIS TYPE OF PROB CAN ONLY BE AVOIDED BY THE TWR OPERATOR SEEING THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCH AN ACCIDENT AND CLRING ACFT ACCORDINGLY. SIMPLY PUT, THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO COMPLY WITH TAXI INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN USING ANY LESS PWR OR LESS TURN. FURTHER, I CANNOT CLR THE AREA BEHIND THE ACFT OR OUT OF MY FIELD OF VIEW. THIS IS ONE REASON WE HAVE A RAMP TWR IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE TWR CTLRS SHOULD NOT ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS THAT PLACE AN ACFT'S EXHAUST FACING PERSONNEL OR EQUIP ON THE RAMP UNLESS IT CAN BE DONE AT IDLE PWR.

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.