Large transport taxies to wrong gate, jet blast damages small aircraft parked tail-to-tail.

Attributes
ACN	245576
Time
Date	199306
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 81 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	245576
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Entering our company ramp at ind a mechanic (marshaller) illuminated his wands and proceeded to marshall us into the gate. As we turned to line up with the gate, we realized that we were at the wrong gate, xy instead of xx. We stopped the aircraft short of the gate and radioed our company ramp tower for permission to proceed into gate xy. We were advised to continue into the gate and to keep our power down as we were disrupting an small aircraft which was parked directly behind us. We proceeded without advancing the power. We did not deviate from the standard taxi lines and our power remained at idle. Operations informed us that there might have been damage to the small aircraft rudder as a result of jet blast. I believe the practice of parking light aircraft, tail-to-tail, directly behind large turbojet aircraft is one which will only bring negative results.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT TAXIES TO WRONG GATE, JET BLAST DAMAGES SMA PARKED TAIL-TO-TAIL.

Narrative: ENTERING OUR COMPANY RAMP AT IND A MECH (MARSHALLER) ILLUMINATED HIS WANDS AND PROCEEDED TO MARSHALL US INTO THE GATE. AS WE TURNED TO LINE UP WITH THE GATE, WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG GATE, XY INSTEAD OF XX. WE STOPPED THE ACFT SHORT OF THE GATE AND RADIOED OUR COMPANY RAMP TWR FOR PERMISSION TO PROCEED INTO GATE XY. WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTINUE INTO THE GATE AND TO KEEP OUR PWR DOWN AS WE WERE DISRUPTING AN SMA WHICH WAS PARKED DIRECTLY BEHIND US. WE PROCEEDED WITHOUT ADVANCING THE PWR. WE DID NOT DEVIATE FROM THE STANDARD TAXI LINES AND OUR PWR REMAINED AT IDLE. OPS INFORMED US THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DAMAGE TO THE SMA RUDDER AS A RESULT OF JET BLAST. I BELIEVE THE PRACTICE OF PARKING LIGHT ACFT, TAIL-TO-TAIL, DIRECTLY BEHIND LARGE TURBOJET ACFT IS ONE WHICH WILL ONLY BRING NEGATIVE RESULTS.

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.