Narrative:

We boarded flight xx bos-mia jan/xa/00 at approximately XA00. About 5 mins after we boarded, the plane was 'hit' on the right side by a cargo loader. It was hard enough to knock us off balance in the cabin. A mechanic was on board and immediately got off to check it out. He came back a few mins later and said it was ok. The cockpit was also advised of the 'hit.' at departure, the ground crew could not get a cargo door closed. I assume it was in the area that took the 'hit,' but don't know for sure. We took a 45 min delay closing the door. As the plane rotated off the ground, it was obvious that something was wrong. A continuing vibration and noise was present long after the gear was up. The captain quickly advised the passenger and flight attendants what the problem was. The gear door on the right side did not close. We diverted to jfk because of better field conditions and passenger facilities. We made 3 low passes by the tower to determine damage, if any. The gear looked good but the gear door was flapping in the breeze. We landed without incident about 2 1/2 hours after takeoff. We had 2 passenger require oxygen during the last 20 mins of the flight, as well as several children and adults vomiting. Nerves I guess. There was some turbulence, but nothing severe. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the pilots and passenger weren't on board when the cargo loader hit the plane. When the captain made the decision to divert to jfk, he told the flight attendants that they wouldn't have to prepare the passenger for an emergency evacuate/evacuation if the fly-by over the tower determined insignificant damage. Many passenger were scared and 2 women had chest pains. When they landed, they were met by fire trucks and paramedics at a remote part of the airport. Paramedics boarded through the back and administered to the 2 women. The paramedics stayed on board the plane while they were towed to the airport gate. The airline had a plane waiting for them at the next gate to take the trip on to miami. The airplane was taken OTS for maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, A300, BOS-MIA. LUGGAGE LOADING TRUCK HIT PLANE, GEAR DOOR WOULDN'T CLOSE INFLT. DIVERT TO JFK FOR TWR VISUAL. PLANE TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: WE BOARDED FLT XX BOS-MIA JAN/XA/00 AT APPROX XA00. ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER WE BOARDED, THE PLANE WAS 'HIT' ON THE R SIDE BY A CARGO LOADER. IT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK US OFF BAL IN THE CABIN. A MECH WAS ON BOARD AND IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF TO CHK IT OUT. HE CAME BACK A FEW MINS LATER AND SAID IT WAS OK. THE COCKPIT WAS ALSO ADVISED OF THE 'HIT.' AT DEP, THE GND CREW COULD NOT GET A CARGO DOOR CLOSED. I ASSUME IT WAS IN THE AREA THAT TOOK THE 'HIT,' BUT DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. WE TOOK A 45 MIN DELAY CLOSING THE DOOR. AS THE PLANE ROTATED OFF THE GND, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. A CONTINUING VIBRATION AND NOISE WAS PRESENT LONG AFTER THE GEAR WAS UP. THE CAPT QUICKLY ADVISED THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WHAT THE PROB WAS. THE GEAR DOOR ON THE R SIDE DID NOT CLOSE. WE DIVERTED TO JFK BECAUSE OF BETTER FIELD CONDITIONS AND PAX FACILITIES. WE MADE 3 LOW PASSES BY THE TWR TO DETERMINE DAMAGE, IF ANY. THE GEAR LOOKED GOOD BUT THE GEAR DOOR WAS FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS AFTER TKOF. WE HAD 2 PAX REQUIRE OXYGEN DURING THE LAST 20 MINS OF THE FLT, AS WELL AS SEVERAL CHILDREN AND ADULTS VOMITING. NERVES I GUESS. THERE WAS SOME TURB, BUT NOTHING SEVERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE PLTS AND PAX WEREN'T ON BOARD WHEN THE CARGO LOADER HIT THE PLANE. WHEN THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO JFK, HE TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PREPARE THE PAX FOR AN EMER EVAC IF THE FLY-BY OVER THE TWR DETERMINED INSIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. MANY PAX WERE SCARED AND 2 WOMEN HAD CHEST PAINS. WHEN THEY LANDED, THEY WERE MET BY FIRE TRUCKS AND PARAMEDICS AT A REMOTE PART OF THE ARPT. PARAMEDICS BOARDED THROUGH THE BACK AND ADMINISTERED TO THE 2 WOMEN. THE PARAMEDICS STAYED ON BOARD THE PLANE WHILE THEY WERE TOWED TO THE ARPT GATE. THE AIRLINE HAD A PLANE WAITING FOR THEM AT THE NEXT GATE TO TAKE THE TRIP ON TO MIAMI. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS FOR MAINT.

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.