ANC95LA043

The Cessna was substantially damaged when it nosed down after encountering jet blast from a Boeing 737 that initiated taxi for takeoff. Ramp personnel marshalling the 737 from the ramp stated that the Cessna was not observed until after the 737 moved ahead about 10 feet and started turning to the right toward the taxiway. The ramp personnel noted that the Cessna was within the confines of the airline's marked perimeter area at the time of the accident.

On April 14, 1995, about 1800 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180A airplane, N9736B, sustained substantial damage while taxiing to parking after landing at the Bethel Airport, Bethel, Alaska. The solo airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot and operated by Kusko Aviation, and was operating in visual meteorological conditions as a 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight.

The pilot reported he was taxiing behind a parked Mark Air 737-200 airplane while en route to the parking ramp for Kusko Aviation. He said as he approached the Mark Air jet, the jet accelerated away from the parking ramp to begin taxi for takeoff. The resulting exhaust thrust from the jet struck the Cessna, and the Cessna nosed down, damaging the propeller, cowl, left aileron and left wing tip.

The flight crew of the Mark Air jet were facing away from the Cessna, and were unaware of the accident. A Mark Air employee who was marshalling the 737 from parking stated that he was "moving the aircraft forward for about 7 to 10 feet then I started to turn the aircraft to my left. About five feet into the turn, I saw a small single-engine aircraft cross Mark Air's ramp going into their own ramp. That was when the single- engine's tail caught air and landing on his nose and left wing." The Mark Air airplane, N676MA, Flight 24, was operating as a 14 CFR Part 121 passenger flight, and was departing for Anchorage, Alaska, with two flight crew members, two flight attendants, and 67 passengers aboard.