An light transport air carrier hit a ground power unit while taxiing out of a poorly lit area.

Attributes
ACN	224039
Time
Date	199210
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	224039
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 205 flight time total : 5976 flight time type : 4205
ASRS Report	224191
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While departing a poorly lighted parking area, I taxied into an unattended, unlighted, power cart parked in what appeared to be a clear area. At this location, one is partially blinded by bright lights on the terminal on front. The aircraft cockpit was brighter than normal owing to a malfunctioning overhead light (deferred maintenance) and lights in the cabin. The cart was in an area where the view is blocked by the aircraft structure. There are no taxi lines in the area. Supplemental information from acn 224191. The right propeller impacted a ground power unit and caused considerable damage to the right engine. There were no injuries. The gpu lights were not on. The roof panel brightness control for the cockpit roof panel lights was inoperative and the lights were stuck in the full bright position. The curtain that separated the cockpit and cabin was in poor condition and unusable therefore allowing considerable light into the cockpit from the cabin and reducing the pilot's night vision. There were no ramp personnel on the right side of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT ACR HIT A GND PWR UNIT WHILE TAXIING OUT OF A POORLY LIT AREA.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING A POORLY LIGHTED PARKING AREA, I TAXIED INTO AN UNATTENDED, UNLIGHTED, PWR CART PARKED IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A CLR AREA. AT THIS LOCATION, ONE IS PARTIALLY BLINDED BY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE TERMINAL ON FRONT. THE ACFT COCKPIT WAS BRIGHTER THAN NORMAL OWING TO A MALFUNCTIONING OVERHEAD LIGHT (DEFERRED MAINT) AND LIGHTS IN THE CABIN. THE CART WAS IN AN AREA WHERE THE VIEW IS BLOCKED BY THE ACFT STRUCTURE. THERE ARE NO TAXI LINES IN THE AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 224191. THE R PROP IMPACTED A GND PWR UNIT AND CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE R ENG. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE GPU LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. THE ROOF PANEL BRIGHTNESS CTL FOR THE COCKPIT ROOF PANEL LIGHTS WAS INOP AND THE LIGHTS WERE STUCK IN THE FULL BRIGHT POS. THE CURTAIN THAT SEPARATED THE COCKPIT AND CABIN WAS IN POOR CONDITION AND UNUSABLE THEREFORE ALLOWING CONSIDERABLE LIGHT INTO THE COCKPIT FROM THE CABIN AND REDUCING THE PLT'S NIGHT VISION. THERE WERE NO RAMP PERSONNEL ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT.

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.