Narrative:

I was on the ramp at bna, performing walkaround. Baggage carts were parked on the marked service road at the tail of my aircraft. The MD80 at the adjoining gate completed push, ground crew departed, and the aircraft began taxi with a hard left turn to join the taxiway. The turn was completed prematurely and it looked to me that the resulting wingtip arc might not clear the bag carts. I stepped out onto the road, about 45 degrees from left cockpit window, attempting to establish eye contact, intending to serve as a wing walker, but captain was looking straight ahead. As the aircraft angled over to join the taxiway, the left wingtip cleared the carts by about 3 ft. The aircraft was accelerating to a normal taxi speed. It was obvious the captain never realized how close the wingtip was to the carts. The wingtip missed the carts by sheer happenstance, not by design. I would like the captain to be made aware of my observations. It might save him an embarrassing incident in the future. Also, I think all our pilots should be reminded of the ground envelope of the airplane to minimize air carrier's exposure to expensive ground damage. With the long fuselage, the MD80 is particularly vulnerable to wingtip strikes if a tight turn away from obstacles is not completed until not only the nose, but the wingtip, is clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80S FO RPTED THAT THE CAPT OF AN ACFT HE OBSERVED WHILE PREFLTING HIS ACFT AT ANOTHER GATE AT BNA, CAME PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO HITTING BAGGAGE CARTS AFTER BEING RELEASED BY THE MARSHALLER.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE RAMP AT BNA, PERFORMING WALKAROUND. BAGGAGE CARTS WERE PARKED ON THE MARKED SVC ROAD AT THE TAIL OF MY ACFT. THE MD80 AT THE ADJOINING GATE COMPLETED PUSH, GND CREW DEPARTED, AND THE ACFT BEGAN TAXI WITH A HARD L TURN TO JOIN THE TXWY. THE TURN WAS COMPLETED PREMATURELY AND IT LOOKED TO ME THAT THE RESULTING WINGTIP ARC MIGHT NOT CLR THE BAG CARTS. I STEPPED OUT ONTO THE ROAD, ABOUT 45 DEGS FROM L COCKPIT WINDOW, ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH EYE CONTACT, INTENDING TO SERVE AS A WING WALKER, BUT CAPT WAS LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD. AS THE ACFT ANGLED OVER TO JOIN THE TXWY, THE L WINGTIP CLRED THE CARTS BY ABOUT 3 FT. THE ACFT WAS ACCELERATING TO A NORMAL TAXI SPD. IT WAS OBVIOUS THE CAPT NEVER REALIZED HOW CLOSE THE WINGTIP WAS TO THE CARTS. THE WINGTIP MISSED THE CARTS BY SHEER HAPPENSTANCE, NOT BY DESIGN. I WOULD LIKE THE CAPT TO BE MADE AWARE OF MY OBSERVATIONS. IT MIGHT SAVE HIM AN EMBARRASSING INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE. ALSO, I THINK ALL OUR PLTS SHOULD BE REMINDED OF THE GND ENVELOPE OF THE AIRPLANE TO MINIMIZE ACR'S EXPOSURE TO EXPENSIVE GND DAMAGE. WITH THE LONG FUSELAGE, THE MD80 IS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO WINGTIP STRIKES IF A TIGHT TURN AWAY FROM OBSTACLES IS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL NOT ONLY THE NOSE, BUT THE WINGTIP, IS CLR.

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.