Narrative:

Tower cleared me to cross runway 18L at C-8, then said to expedite because of aircraft on short final. I pushed power up to 60 percent N1 (company policy 40 percent N1 in congested area) because I had previously cleared area and needed to expedite crossing. An air carrier commuter line refueler 400 ft away was buffeted, jumped off his ladder, dropped his hose and fell down. He told the company he was not hurt, however, the company is worried about a liable lawsuit and I don't want to be in the middle with an FAA violation of some type. I recommend signs be put up at taxi crossing point to say use minimum thrust when crossing runway (at C-8 eastbound memphis airport). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is flying a 3 engine widebody transport freighter. This aircraft needs a lot of thrust from each engine when very heavy. The refueler felt the 55 KT jet blast that is hot and smells bad and was buffeting the wing of the small transport that he was refueling. He jumped off of his ladder and was not hurt. There was no aircraft damage, but a little bit of fuel was spilled. Mem ground control is not allowed to use the word 'expedite' to control taxiing, they said 'cleared to cross immediately' in this case, causing the reporter to use more power than normal. The reporter's air carrier employer was initially very concerned about liability in this incident as it had just settled a similar case with another individual for a large sum. The refueler in this case was not interested in pursuing the case, much to the relief of the reporter and the air carrier. The air carrier has an incident reporting system similar to the ASRS.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB FREIGHTER CAUSED A REFUELER TO JUMP OFF A LADDER BY HIGH THRUST TAXIING. NO INJURIES.

Narrative: TWR CLRED ME TO CROSS RWY 18L AT C-8, THEN SAID TO EXPEDITE BECAUSE OF ACFT ON SHORT FINAL. I PUSHED PWR UP TO 60 PERCENT N1 (COMPANY POLICY 40 PERCENT N1 IN CONGESTED AREA) BECAUSE I HAD PREVIOUSLY CLRED AREA AND NEEDED TO EXPEDITE XING. AN ACR COMMUTER LINE REFUELER 400 FT AWAY WAS BUFFETED, JUMPED OFF HIS LADDER, DROPPED HIS HOSE AND FELL DOWN. HE TOLD THE COMPANY HE WAS NOT HURT, HOWEVER, THE COMPANY IS WORRIED ABOUT A LIABLE LAWSUIT AND I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE MIDDLE WITH AN FAA VIOLATION OF SOME TYPE. I RECOMMEND SIGNS BE PUT UP AT TAXI XING POINT TO SAY USE MINIMUM THRUST WHEN XING RWY (AT C-8 EBOUND MEMPHIS ARPT). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS FLYING A 3 ENG WDB FREIGHTER. THIS ACFT NEEDS A LOT OF THRUST FROM EACH ENG WHEN VERY HVY. THE REFUELER FELT THE 55 KT JET BLAST THAT IS HOT AND SMELLS BAD AND WAS BUFFETING THE WING OF THE SMT THAT HE WAS REFUELING. HE JUMPED OFF OF HIS LADDER AND WAS NOT HURT. THERE WAS NO ACFT DAMAGE, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF FUEL WAS SPILLED. MEM GND CTL IS NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE WORD 'EXPEDITE' TO CTL TAXIING, THEY SAID 'CLRED TO CROSS IMMEDIATELY' IN THIS CASE, CAUSING THE RPTR TO USE MORE PWR THAN NORMAL. THE RPTR'S ACR EMPLOYER WAS INITIALLY VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LIABILITY IN THIS INCIDENT AS IT HAD JUST SETTLED A SIMILAR CASE WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL FOR A LARGE SUM. THE REFUELER IN THIS CASE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE CASE, MUCH TO THE RELIEF OF THE RPTR AND THE ACR. THE ACR HAS AN INCIDENT RPTING SYS SIMILAR TO THE ASRS.

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.