Narrative:

We landed on runway 5R at rdu at XA45 local. We taxied southwest onto taxiway a. Our gate xa was occupied so ground told us to taxi onto the ramp out of the way. I taxied over next to gate xb as it was unoccupied. I parked parallel to taxiway a over the middle of the vehicle road marked on the ramp. We sat there and waited until XA15. I never saw any vehicles use the roadway in front of me while we waited. Someone who we could not see called ground and asked how long we were going to be there. Ground told us at XA15 to taxi back to taxiway a. I had to trust that ground could see that it was clear enough behind me to turn left back onto taxiway a. I taxied forward and to the left using minimum thrust to move the plane because I was unsure of who or what was behind me. I even mentioned to first officer that I didn't like doing this. Unfortunately, as I turned, my jet blast blasted the ramp. I was later informed that 1 or 2 ramp people were pushed by the blast. Fortunately no one was injured and there was no damage. The rdu operations manager, saw what happened from his vehicle. He went into air carrier operations to state that he was mad and was going to write this incident up. He then went to the jetway to find me and tell me he was writing me up. I apologized and explained what happened. I asked him if he was going to file an FAA violation and he said no. After talking to mr X, who was working air carrier operations that night, I found out that when mr Y went into operations he stated that it looked like I was mad while taxiing and that I did it on purpose. I am very sorry this happened and will use better judgement when taxiing close to men and equipment. It would help if ground control had put me in a better place to wait where I didn't block any txwys or roads. I was not mad and did not do this on purpose. If mr Y had not asked ground control how long we were going to situation there then ground would not have asked me to move back to taxiway a. I was in a perfect position to move into gate X when it cleared but not in a good position to turn back onto to taxiway a. I was blocking the road but aircraft have the right of way over vehicles. Mr Y could have used his radio to ask ground for permission to drive around us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPT JET BLASTED RAMP AREA WHEN REPOSITIONING ACFT IN WAITING FOR GATE AVAILABILITY.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 5R AT RDU AT XA45 LCL. WE TAXIED SW ONTO TXWY A. OUR GATE XA WAS OCCUPIED SO GND TOLD US TO TAXI ONTO THE RAMP OUT OF THE WAY. I TAXIED OVER NEXT TO GATE XB AS IT WAS UNOCCUPIED. I PARKED PARALLEL TO TXWY A OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE ROAD MARKED ON THE RAMP. WE SAT THERE AND WAITED UNTIL XA15. I NEVER SAW ANY VEHICLES USE THE ROADWAY IN FRONT OF ME WHILE WE WAITED. SOMEONE WHO WE COULD NOT SEE CALLED GND AND ASKED HOW LONG WE WERE GOING TO BE THERE. GND TOLD US AT XA15 TO TAXI BACK TO TXWY A. I HAD TO TRUST THAT GND COULD SEE THAT IT WAS CLR ENOUGH BEHIND ME TO TURN L BACK ONTO TXWY A. I TAXIED FORWARD AND TO THE L USING MINIMUM THRUST TO MOVE THE PLANE BECAUSE I WAS UNSURE OF WHO OR WHAT WAS BEHIND ME. I EVEN MENTIONED TO FO THAT I DIDN'T LIKE DOING THIS. UNFORTUNATELY, AS I TURNED, MY JET BLAST BLASTED THE RAMP. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT 1 OR 2 RAMP PEOPLE WERE PUSHED BY THE BLAST. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. THE RDU OPS MGR, SAW WHAT HAPPENED FROM HIS VEHICLE. HE WENT INTO ACR OPS TO STATE THAT HE WAS MAD AND WAS GOING TO WRITE THIS INCIDENT UP. HE THEN WENT TO THE JETWAY TO FIND ME AND TELL ME HE WAS WRITING ME UP. I APOLOGIZED AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS GOING TO FILE AN FAA VIOLATION AND HE SAID NO. AFTER TALKING TO MR X, WHO WAS WORKING ACR OPS THAT NIGHT, I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN MR Y WENT INTO OPS HE STATED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS MAD WHILE TAXIING AND THAT I DID IT ON PURPOSE. I AM VERY SORRY THIS HAPPENED AND WILL USE BETTER JUDGEMENT WHEN TAXIING CLOSE TO MEN AND EQUIP. IT WOULD HELP IF GND CTL HAD PUT ME IN A BETTER PLACE TO WAIT WHERE I DIDN'T BLOCK ANY TXWYS OR ROADS. I WAS NOT MAD AND DID NOT DO THIS ON PURPOSE. IF MR Y HAD NOT ASKED GND CTL HOW LONG WE WERE GOING TO SIT THERE THEN GND WOULD NOT HAVE ASKED ME TO MOVE BACK TO TXWY A. I WAS IN A PERFECT POS TO MOVE INTO GATE X WHEN IT CLRED BUT NOT IN A GOOD POS TO TURN BACK ONTO TO TXWY A. I WAS BLOCKING THE ROAD BUT ACFT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY OVER VEHICLES. MR Y COULD HAVE USED HIS RADIO TO ASK GND FOR PERMISSION TO DRIVE AROUND 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.