Narrative:

We came to a stop 90 degrees from the gate and set the parking brake. Captain left enough room to roll forward before he would initiate the turn because it was about a 120 degree turn to the gate. As we rolled forward, a baggage cart and tug drove into the gate safety zone and forced us to stop. The captain concluded it would take excessive power to make this turn from a dead stop. The captain looked to the left, and, seeing no other aircraft in the alley or at the gate behind us, concluded he could make left 270 degree turn with much less power and park straight in. The captain initiated the turn with throttles at idle and made the turn and parked. The gate agent was concerned that we made an unsafe turn in to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 FLC USED AN UNUSUAL TAXI MANEUVER TO PARK WITHOUT DAMAGE TO OTHER ACFT AT MSP.

Narrative: WE CAME TO A STOP 90 DEGS FROM THE GATE AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. CAPT LEFT ENOUGH ROOM TO ROLL FORWARD BEFORE HE WOULD INITIATE THE TURN BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT A 120 DEG TURN TO THE GATE. AS WE ROLLED FORWARD, A BAGGAGE CART AND TUG DROVE INTO THE GATE SAFETY ZONE AND FORCED US TO STOP. THE CAPT CONCLUDED IT WOULD TAKE EXCESSIVE PWR TO MAKE THIS TURN FROM A DEAD STOP. THE CAPT LOOKED TO THE L, AND, SEEING NO OTHER ACFT IN THE ALLEY OR AT THE GATE BEHIND US, CONCLUDED HE COULD MAKE L 270 DEG TURN WITH MUCH LESS PWR AND PARK STRAIGHT IN. THE CAPT INITIATED THE TURN WITH THROTTLES AT IDLE AND MADE THE TURN AND PARKED. THE GATE AGENT WAS CONCERNED THAT WE MADE AN UNSAFE TURN IN TO THE GATE.

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.