Narrative:

After pushback I decided to taxi out on 1 engine as we were light. Just as we were starting our taxi, ground gave us a runway we were illegal for. That, coupled with the flight attendant ringing the cockpit for something and probably some other distractions, I was holding the brakes while adding power to taxi. In the middle of trying to solve all these problems I noticed the high power setting, almost 1.5 EPR, and yanked the throttle to idle. I then decided to hold in position until the runway problem was fixed along with the flight attendant question being addressed before continuing the taxi. I did not see that we had caused any damage as we left the ramp, but tried to call ric operations once we got airborne just to make sure. They did not answer their radio, so I had dispatch call ric for an update. After several attempts he finally got through and they stated that there was no damage or injuries and that everything was fine. I was going to file a report once I got to dfw and call the appropriate people, but after hearing that, I decided not to. On apr/wed/03, I received a call from a flight manager at the flight office stating he had received an email from the folks at ric, about the incident and that there was some minor damage to a fence. So bottom line is I should have filed the report or at least called my chief pilot to get his opinion. The bigger point is that during these stressful times everyone at this company is going through we need to concentrate on the job at hand and block out the distractions. As a former air carrier pilot I watched, as the company began to fail, all sorts of mistakes from missing radio calls to busting altitudes. Most cockpit chatter evolved around company problems rather than flying the airplane. I was very fortunate that I didn't hurt anyone or cause serious damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD ENG BLAST DAMAGE TO AN ARPT FENCE AT RIC.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK I DECIDED TO TAXI OUT ON 1 ENG AS WE WERE LIGHT. JUST AS WE WERE STARTING OUR TAXI, GND GAVE US A RWY WE WERE ILLEGAL FOR. THAT, COUPLED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT RINGING THE COCKPIT FOR SOMETHING AND PROBABLY SOME OTHER DISTRACTIONS, I WAS HOLDING THE BRAKES WHILE ADDING PWR TO TAXI. IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO SOLVE ALL THESE PROBS I NOTICED THE HIGH PWR SETTING, ALMOST 1.5 EPR, AND YANKED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. I THEN DECIDED TO HOLD IN POS UNTIL THE RWY PROB WAS FIXED ALONG WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT QUESTION BEING ADDRESSED BEFORE CONTINUING THE TAXI. I DID NOT SEE THAT WE HAD CAUSED ANY DAMAGE AS WE LEFT THE RAMP, BUT TRIED TO CALL RIC OPS ONCE WE GOT AIRBORNE JUST TO MAKE SURE. THEY DID NOT ANSWER THEIR RADIO, SO I HAD DISPATCH CALL RIC FOR AN UPDATE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HE FINALLY GOT THROUGH AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I WAS GOING TO FILE A RPT ONCE I GOT TO DFW AND CALL THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE, BUT AFTER HEARING THAT, I DECIDED NOT TO. ON APR/WED/03, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FLT MGR AT THE FLT OFFICE STATING HE HAD RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE FOLKS AT RIC, ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND THAT THERE WAS SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO A FENCE. SO BOTTOM LINE IS I SHOULD HAVE FILED THE RPT OR AT LEAST CALLED MY CHIEF PLT TO GET HIS OPINION. THE BIGGER POINT IS THAT DURING THESE STRESSFUL TIMES EVERYONE AT THIS COMPANY IS GOING THROUGH WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON THE JOB AT HAND AND BLOCK OUT THE DISTRACTIONS. AS A FORMER ACR PLT I WATCHED, AS THE COMPANY BEGAN TO FAIL, ALL SORTS OF MISTAKES FROM MISSING RADIO CALLS TO BUSTING ALTS. MOST COCKPIT CHATTER EVOLVED AROUND COMPANY PROBS RATHER THAN FLYING THE AIRPLANE. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T HURT ANYONE OR CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE.

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.