Narrative:

Taxiing into gate at lax. This gate requires a hard right alignment turn after approaching gate straight in, followed by further forward movement to the parking spot. Our operations advisory pages say to leave both engines running and to use idle power during parking. I believe I made the initial turn to the gate using idle power. In any event, after parking at the gate, I thought I heard someone on ramp radio frequency say that the airplane that just parked blew over some baggage carts. I went outside to look and saw no baggage carts blown over, although there was one l-type wbd container sitting on the ground directly behind my aircraft on the other side of the ramp. If my jet blast caused that container to fall off its trailer, which I'm not sure it did, it must not have been locked on its trailer. I do not recall using any excessive thrust, although during the alignment maneuver, it is possible I instinctively added some thrust. I am submitting this report to reiterate the need to be constantly vigilant and to be wary of complacency in habit patterns (such as making alignment turns by adding a slight amount of thrust).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PARKING MD82 IS ALLEGED TO HAVE BLOWN A WBD CARGO CONTAINER OFF ITS TRAILER NEAR THE ARR GATE AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: TAXIING INTO GATE AT LAX. THIS GATE REQUIRES A HARD R ALIGNMENT TURN AFTER APCHING GATE STRAIGHT IN, FOLLOWED BY FURTHER FORWARD MOVEMENT TO THE PARKING SPOT. OUR OPS ADVISORY PAGES SAY TO LEAVE BOTH ENGS RUNNING AND TO USE IDLE PWR DURING PARKING. I BELIEVE I MADE THE INITIAL TURN TO THE GATE USING IDLE PWR. IN ANY EVENT, AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMEONE ON RAMP RADIO FREQ SAY THAT THE AIRPLANE THAT JUST PARKED BLEW OVER SOME BAGGAGE CARTS. I WENT OUTSIDE TO LOOK AND SAW NO BAGGAGE CARTS BLOWN OVER, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ONE L-TYPE WBD CONTAINER SITTING ON THE GND DIRECTLY BEHIND MY ACFT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAMP. IF MY JET BLAST CAUSED THAT CONTAINER TO FALL OFF ITS TRAILER, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IT DID, IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN LOCKED ON ITS TRAILER. I DO NOT RECALL USING ANY EXCESSIVE THRUST, ALTHOUGH DURING THE ALIGNMENT MANEUVER, IT IS POSSIBLE I INSTINCTIVELY ADDED SOME THRUST. I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT TO REITERATE THE NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT AND TO BE WARY OF COMPLACENCY IN HABIT PATTERNS (SUCH AS MAKING ALIGNMENT TURNS BY ADDING A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF THRUST).

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.