Narrative:

While parking a scheduled revenue flight at gate, approaching the stopping point west/O any outside assistance, my aircraft grazed ground support equipment with the outboard side of the #1 engine nacelle. The aircraft approached the gate on centerline with a painted surface line and a visibility lighting system mounted on the terminal bldg (a bolds system). Looking into a concave mirror used for locating the nose gear and a painted stop line, the outboard side of the left engine cowl grazed the forward edge of an errantly parked belt loader. The beltloader left a scratch approximately 1/8-1/4' deep along the composite material of the cowl door. I did not have any assistance from ground personnel while approaching the gate, and did not notice any clearance problems prior to turning onto the parking centerline. The beltloader had been left, west/O supervision, forward of painted safety lines that would have provided adequate clearance from any approaching aircraft. I do not remember noticing the beltloader being in a hazardous area prior to impact and I did make my usual scan left while approaching the gate. It was a low object that my wing had safely cleared and was not visible from the cockpit when it began scraping the low, underwing engine cowl. The incident is obviously preventable with increased vigilance and an unwillingness to accept encroaching ground/support vehicles in and around aircraft. Ground operators need only heed painted warning lines that are obviously visible, and airlines can insist upon qualified mechanics to observe or guide aircraft into close parking slots. A pilot cannot concentrate on high up visibility cues (bold lights and mirrors) and still ensure low, ground clearance of obstacles that are not in sight. The PIC is responsible, but did not violate any company policies or procedures while parking his aircraft. The direct cause was an errant parking job of ground support equipment, and the pilot was unable to save the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG SCRAPED GND BELTLOADER TAXIING TO THE GATE USING A LIGHT MIRROR SYSTEM FOR GUIDANCE.

Narrative: WHILE PARKING A SCHEDULED REVENUE FLT AT GATE, APCHING THE STOPPING POINT W/O ANY OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE, MY ACFT GRAZED GND SUPPORT EQUIP WITH THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE #1 ENG NACELLE. THE ACFT APCHED THE GATE ON CENTERLINE WITH A PAINTED SURFACE LINE AND A VIS LIGHTING SYS MOUNTED ON THE TERMINAL BLDG (A BOLDS SYS). LOOKING INTO A CONCAVE MIRROR USED FOR LOCATING THE NOSE GEAR AND A PAINTED STOP LINE, THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE LEFT ENG COWL GRAZED THE FORWARD EDGE OF AN ERRANTLY PARKED BELT LOADER. THE BELTLOADER LEFT A SCRATCH APPROX 1/8-1/4' DEEP ALONG THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL OF THE COWL DOOR. I DID NOT HAVE ANY ASSISTANCE FROM GND PERSONNEL WHILE APCHING THE GATE, AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY CLRNC PROBS PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO THE PARKING CENTERLINE. THE BELTLOADER HAD BEEN LEFT, W/O SUPERVISION, FORWARD OF PAINTED SAFETY LINES THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED ADEQUATE CLRNC FROM ANY APCHING ACFT. I DO NOT REMEMBER NOTICING THE BELTLOADER BEING IN A HAZARDOUS AREA PRIOR TO IMPACT AND I DID MAKE MY USUAL SCAN LEFT WHILE APCHING THE GATE. IT WAS A LOW OBJECT THAT MY WING HAD SAFELY CLRED AND WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT WHEN IT BEGAN SCRAPING THE LOW, UNDERWING ENG COWL. THE INCIDENT IS OBVIOUSLY PREVENTABLE WITH INCREASED VIGILANCE AND AN UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT ENCROACHING GND/SUPPORT VEHICLES IN AND AROUND ACFT. GND OPERATORS NEED ONLY HEED PAINTED WARNING LINES THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY VISIBLE, AND AIRLINES CAN INSIST UPON QUALIFIED MECHS TO OBSERVE OR GUIDE ACFT INTO CLOSE PARKING SLOTS. A PLT CANNOT CONCENTRATE ON HIGH UP VIS CUES (BOLD LIGHTS AND MIRRORS) AND STILL ENSURE LOW, GND CLRNC OF OBSTACLES THAT ARE NOT IN SIGHT. THE PIC IS RESPONSIBLE, BUT DID NOT VIOLATE ANY COMPANY POLICIES OR PROCS WHILE PARKING HIS ACFT. THE DIRECT CAUSE WAS AN ERRANT PARKING JOB OF GND SUPPORT EQUIP, AND THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO SAVE THE SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.