Narrative:

We had been assigned gate AC by las vegas operations. As I was approaching our gates from taxiway A3, I shut down the #2 engine (standard practice at our airline per our operations manual). I was momentarily distracted inside the cockpit (checking radar was on standby, APU generator was on both busses, TCASII was standby and antiskid switches off) as I was approaching our gates. When I looked back outside I saw about 4 ramp personnel around one of our gates. They looked like they were preparing for an aircraft arrival, so I turned into that gate. As I turned in on the lead-in line, one of the ramp personnel jumped up on a tug and crossed his arms, so I immediately stopped the airplane. I looked at the gate number, it was ab not AC. Gate AC was over to my left. There was enough room to make a turn to the left to taxi over to gate AC. There was a belt loader parked outside the yellow safety line on my left. One of the rampers ran over to move it. I pwred up #1 engine. As the airplane started to move forward I began my left turn. I kept my view outside clearing and making sure the belt loader was moved completely out of the way. The first officer watched the right wingtip for clearance of any obstacles. There was more than enough room to make the turn, but I tightened it up to make sure. As I tightened the turn the aircraft slowed so I added power on the #1 engine to keep the aircraft moving. I did not notice the power setting as I was clearing outside, to my left. After making the turn we taxied to gate AC and parked the aircraft. During the left turn the jet blast from the #1 engine blew off a mechanic on a maintenance stand. The jet blast also blew off a part on the engine cowling on the maintenance stand. The cause of the incident was making a left turn 'into' the 'operating engine' in proximity of other aircraft. Since I was clearing outside to my left and became focused on clearance of obstacles I did not realize the amount of power I was using to make the turn. If I had started the #2 engine or turned away from the operating engine I don't believe the incident would have occurred. Perhaps if I had not been so focused outside I would have been more aware of my power application. I think in future sits I will either restart an engine or shutdown and use a tug to reposition if there is any doubt about jet blast. Also, I would try to be more cognizant of all objects around my aircraft. We (captain and first officer) never saw the mechanic on the stand on the gate next to us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JET BLAST ENCOUNTER CREATES AN INJURY TO CGP IN A NIGHT RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED GATE AC BY LAS VEGAS OPS. AS I WAS APCHING OUR GATES FROM TXWY A3, I SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG (STANDARD PRACTICE AT OUR AIRLINE PER OUR OPS MANUAL). I WAS MOMENTARILY DISTRACTED INSIDE THE COCKPIT (CHKING RADAR WAS ON STANDBY, APU GENERATOR WAS ON BOTH BUSSES, TCASII WAS STANDBY AND ANTISKID SWITCHES OFF) AS I WAS APCHING OUR GATES. WHEN I LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE I SAW ABOUT 4 RAMP PERSONNEL AROUND ONE OF OUR GATES. THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE PREPARING FOR AN ACFT ARR, SO I TURNED INTO THAT GATE. AS I TURNED IN ON THE LEAD-IN LINE, ONE OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL JUMPED UP ON A TUG AND CROSSED HIS ARMS, SO I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE AIRPLANE. I LOOKED AT THE GATE NUMBER, IT WAS AB NOT AC. GATE AC WAS OVER TO MY L. THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO MAKE A TURN TO THE L TO TAXI OVER TO GATE AC. THERE WAS A BELT LOADER PARKED OUTSIDE THE YELLOW SAFETY LINE ON MY L. ONE OF THE RAMPERS RAN OVER TO MOVE IT. I PWRED UP #1 ENG. AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD I BEGAN MY L TURN. I KEPT MY VIEW OUTSIDE CLRING AND MAKING SURE THE BELT LOADER WAS MOVED COMPLETELY OUT OF THE WAY. THE FO WATCHED THE R WINGTIP FOR CLRNC OF ANY OBSTACLES. THERE WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM TO MAKE THE TURN, BUT I TIGHTENED IT UP TO MAKE SURE. AS I TIGHTENED THE TURN THE ACFT SLOWED SO I ADDED PWR ON THE #1 ENG TO KEEP THE ACFT MOVING. I DID NOT NOTICE THE PWR SETTING AS I WAS CLRING OUTSIDE, TO MY L. AFTER MAKING THE TURN WE TAXIED TO GATE AC AND PARKED THE ACFT. DURING THE L TURN THE JET BLAST FROM THE #1 ENG BLEW OFF A MECH ON A MAINT STAND. THE JET BLAST ALSO BLEW OFF A PART ON THE ENG COWLING ON THE MAINT STAND. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS MAKING A L TURN 'INTO' THE 'OPERATING ENG' IN PROX OF OTHER ACFT. SINCE I WAS CLRING OUTSIDE TO MY L AND BECAME FOCUSED ON CLRNC OF OBSTACLES I DID NOT REALIZE THE AMOUNT OF PWR I WAS USING TO MAKE THE TURN. IF I HAD STARTED THE #2 ENG OR TURNED AWAY FROM THE OPERATING ENG I DON'T BELIEVE THE INCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. PERHAPS IF I HAD NOT BEEN SO FOCUSED OUTSIDE I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF MY PWR APPLICATION. I THINK IN FUTURE SITS I WILL EITHER RESTART AN ENG OR SHUTDOWN AND USE A TUG TO REPOSITION IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT JET BLAST. ALSO, I WOULD TRY TO BE MORE COGNIZANT OF ALL OBJECTS AROUND MY ACFT. WE (CAPT AND FO) NEVER SAW THE MECH ON THE STAND ON THE GATE NEXT TO US.

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.