On July 21, 2002, about 0930 eastern daylight time, a Saab 340A, N110XJ, operated by Mesaba Aviation Inc. as Northwest Airlink flight 2742, was substantially damaged while standing at Yeager Airport (CRW), Charleston, West Virginia. The certificated airline transport pilot, certificated commercial pilot, flight attendant, and 32 passengers were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight destined to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Detroit, Michigan. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the air carrier flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 121. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was standing at the gate, and the passengers had already boarded. The engines were not operating, and the flightcrew requested that a ground power unit (GPU) be reconnected to the airplane. To facilitate their request, an employee on the ground drove a ground service vehicle, with a GPU attached, toward the airplane. As the ground service vehicle approached the airplane, it struck a section of fuselage, located aft of the airplane cargo compartment door. The impact resulted in an approximate 2-foot long, 7-inch wide tear in the skin of the fuselage, and damaged two frames of the airplane.