Narrative:

We landed on runway 28L at sfo. After leaving the runway I called company ground and confirmed we had gate xd. I announced this to the pilots. I also announced ground power was available. I then monitored the hydraulic system on my panel. Shortly thereafter, I heard the first officer state we were cleared to gate xd, I looked around and noticed we were heading toward gate xb and about the same time we were starting a right turn to gate xd. We then taxied abeam gate xd, turned left and parked the aircraft. A few mins later a company employee came to the cockpit and advised us we had blown over some ground equipment. He stated we would have to come downstairs and make a written statement. Supplemental information from acn 335488: looked to the left for gate lead-in and saw very bright lights, but did not see the gate number until we started in on the ground line. (The sign was out or very dim). Noticed taxi line had an arc transition to lights. I stopped as I realized this was gate xb. Observed there was room to turn right to gate xd. There was a B737 at gate xa, forward to my left. I knew to be sure I was at idle when I made the turn to avoid jet blast. All engines were running so I needed a small amount of throttle to start moving. As we turned, a guideman came from xd and guided us into xd. Aircraft parked and SOP engine shut down. It was assumed that if aircraft structures had space that idle thrust would not do harm. Engineering is checking data and also spool-down time of engines, as they may not have been all the way down to idle. Supplemental information from acn 335772: I expressed my concern about some ground equipment that was left of the aircraft as the captain was making the 90 degree turn to the right. The captain confirmed that he had clearance. During that change in taxiing direction from gate xb to xd, our tail was directed toward gate xa where a B737 was being svced and our blast caused a baggage cart to blow over and a baggage loader to move into the left side of a fueling truck causing door damage. To prevent recurrence: keep the heavy jets away from the gates that can cause blast damage to adjacent gates as they maneuver and we need a more visible means of identing the gates during nighttime operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747 FLC BEGAN A TAXI TO THE WRONG GATE AND WHILE MANEUVERING FOR THE CORRECT GATE, THEIR JET BLAST DAMAGED NEARBY EQUIP.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 28L AT SFO. AFTER LEAVING THE RWY I CALLED COMPANY GND AND CONFIRMED WE HAD GATE XD. I ANNOUNCED THIS TO THE PLTS. I ALSO ANNOUNCED GND PWR WAS AVAILABLE. I THEN MONITORED THE HYD SYS ON MY PANEL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I HEARD THE FO STATE WE WERE CLRED TO GATE XD, I LOOKED AROUND AND NOTICED WE WERE HEADING TOWARD GATE XB AND ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE STARTING A R TURN TO GATE XD. WE THEN TAXIED ABEAM GATE XD, TURNED L AND PARKED THE ACFT. A FEW MINS LATER A COMPANY EMPLOYEE CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED US WE HAD BLOWN OVER SOME GND EQUIP. HE STATED WE WOULD HAVE TO COME DOWNSTAIRS AND MAKE A WRITTEN STATEMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335488: LOOKED TO THE L FOR GATE LEAD-IN AND SAW VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS, BUT DID NOT SEE THE GATE NUMBER UNTIL WE STARTED IN ON THE GND LINE. (THE SIGN WAS OUT OR VERY DIM). NOTICED TAXI LINE HAD AN ARC TRANSITION TO LIGHTS. I STOPPED AS I REALIZED THIS WAS GATE XB. OBSERVED THERE WAS ROOM TO TURN R TO GATE XD. THERE WAS A B737 AT GATE XA, FORWARD TO MY L. I KNEW TO BE SURE I WAS AT IDLE WHEN I MADE THE TURN TO AVOID JET BLAST. ALL ENGS WERE RUNNING SO I NEEDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF THROTTLE TO START MOVING. AS WE TURNED, A GUIDEMAN CAME FROM XD AND GUIDED US INTO XD. ACFT PARKED AND SOP ENG SHUT DOWN. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT IF ACFT STRUCTURES HAD SPACE THAT IDLE THRUST WOULD NOT DO HARM. ENGINEERING IS CHKING DATA AND ALSO SPOOL-DOWN TIME OF ENGS, AS THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO IDLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335772: I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT SOME GND EQUIP THAT WAS L OF THE ACFT AS THE CAPT WAS MAKING THE 90 DEG TURN TO THE R. THE CAPT CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD CLRNC. DURING THAT CHANGE IN TAXIING DIRECTION FROM GATE XB TO XD, OUR TAIL WAS DIRECTED TOWARD GATE XA WHERE A B737 WAS BEING SVCED AND OUR BLAST CAUSED A BAGGAGE CART TO BLOW OVER AND A BAGGAGE LOADER TO MOVE INTO THE L SIDE OF A FUELING TRUCK CAUSING DOOR DAMAGE. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE: KEEP THE HVY JETS AWAY FROM THE GATES THAT CAN CAUSE BLAST DAMAGE TO ADJACENT GATES AS THEY MANEUVER AND WE NEED A MORE VISIBLE MEANS OF IDENTING THE GATES DURING NIGHTTIME OPS.

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.