Narrative:

Upon arrival at sav, approaching the gate area, I turned on the yellow lead-in line. There were no obvious obstacles in the way. The signal person, using the standard hand signals guided us in. Taxi speed was very slow (maybe 2 mph), engines were at idle. As we got approximately 2 1/2' from the stop position the #1 engine struck an air conditioning cart and sucked in the air conditioning cart fexible hose. I immediately shut down both engines. On the ramp were 2 to 4 other people, 2 were directly behind the signal person. No one on the ramp indicated any problem. The signal person was continuing to signal 'forward' right up to impact with the air conditioning cart. After the incident I heard a ramp person say the air conditioning cart was in the wrong position, it was set up for another type air carrier medium large transport. I did note this cart was close, but no closer than other ground equipment normally around the airplane as you come within a few feet of the stop position. Damage would have been extremely minor except for the fact the fexible hose was sucked in. Ground equipment must not only be clear of the airframe, but enough distance so that the medium large transport engines will not suck up items such as a hose or ground power cord, etc. Supplemental information from acn 143694: there were 3 to 4 other people standing behind guide person contributing nothing, when they could have been wing walking.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG HITS AIR CONDITIONING CART WHILE BEING DIRECTED BY GND PERSONNEL AT GATE IN SAV.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT SAV, APCHING THE GATE AREA, I TURNED ON THE YELLOW LEAD-IN LINE. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS OBSTACLES IN THE WAY. THE SIGNAL PERSON, USING THE STANDARD HAND SIGNALS GUIDED US IN. TAXI SPEED WAS VERY SLOW (MAYBE 2 MPH), ENGINES WERE AT IDLE. AS WE GOT APPROX 2 1/2' FROM THE STOP POSITION THE #1 ENGINE STRUCK AN AIR CONDITIONING CART AND SUCKED IN THE AIR CONDITIONING CART FEXIBLE HOSE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES. ON THE RAMP WERE 2 TO 4 OTHER PEOPLE, 2 WERE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE SIGNAL PERSON. NO ONE ON THE RAMP INDICATED ANY PROBLEM. THE SIGNAL PERSON WAS CONTINUING TO SIGNAL 'FORWARD' RIGHT UP TO IMPACT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING CART. AFTER THE INCIDENT I HEARD A RAMP PERSON SAY THE AIR CONDITIONING CART WAS IN THE WRONG POSITION, IT WAS SET UP FOR ANOTHER TYPE ACR MLG. I DID NOTE THIS CART WAS CLOSE, BUT NO CLOSER THAN OTHER GND EQUIPMENT NORMALLY AROUND THE AIRPLANE AS YOU COME WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE STOP POSITION. DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY MINOR EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THE FEXIBLE HOSE WAS SUCKED IN. GND EQUIPMENT MUST NOT ONLY BE CLEAR OF THE AIRFRAME, BUT ENOUGH DISTANCE SO THAT THE MLG ENGINES WILL NOT SUCK UP ITEMS SUCH AS A HOSE OR GND POWER CORD, ETC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 143694: THERE WERE 3 TO 4 OTHER PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND GUIDE PERSON CONTRIBUTING NOTHING, WHEN THEY COULD HAVE BEEN WING WALKING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.