Large transport strikes wingtip against unlighted trailer while parking aircraft at gate.

Attributes
ACN	113286
Time
Date	198906
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	113286
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	113487
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : ground less severe non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

While taxiing into the ramp area to our gate at baltimore airport, our left wing tip struck a parked trailer on the outside of the ramp area. It was late at night, the ramp was wet, the taxi lines were hard to see and the captain had not been to this airport recently. (Our taxi light was inoperative.) being unfamiliar with the area, I thought the captain was taxiing too aggressively. The trailer was pointed out to him and its proximity, but he continued without evaluating the input. After passing the gate, he made a hard right-hand turn towards the gate. That's when our left wingtip hit a construction trailer parked on the outside of the ramp area. Damage was a broken lens cover, broken navigation assembly and strobe light and a bent inspection panel from atop the wing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that PIC was taxiing a bit too fast for the wet conditions. The yellow taxi line was very hard to see. He felt that the captain was not following ground man's signal very well. He did not stop the aircraft when the crew member stated that the aircraft was too close to the trailer. Crew duty time was not a factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT STRIKES WINGTIP AGAINST UNLIGHTED TRAILER WHILE PARKING ACFT AT GATE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING INTO THE RAMP AREA TO OUR GATE AT BALTIMORE ARPT, OUR LEFT WING TIP STRUCK A PARKED TRAILER ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RAMP AREA. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT, THE RAMP WAS WET, THE TAXI LINES WERE HARD TO SEE AND THE CAPT HAD NOT BEEN TO THIS ARPT RECENTLY. (OUR TAXI LIGHT WAS INOP.) BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I THOUGHT THE CAPT WAS TAXIING TOO AGGRESSIVELY. THE TRAILER WAS POINTED OUT TO HIM AND ITS PROX, BUT HE CONTINUED WITHOUT EVALUATING THE INPUT. AFTER PASSING THE GATE, HE MADE A HARD RIGHT-HAND TURN TOWARDS THE GATE. THAT'S WHEN OUR LEFT WINGTIP HIT A CONSTRUCTION TRAILER PARKED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RAMP AREA. DAMAGE WAS A BROKEN LENS COVER, BROKEN NAV ASSEMBLY AND STROBE LIGHT AND A BENT INSPECTION PANEL FROM ATOP THE WING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATED THAT PIC WAS TAXIING A BIT TOO FAST FOR THE WET CONDITIONS. THE YELLOW TAXI LINE WAS VERY HARD TO SEE. HE FELT THAT THE CAPT WAS NOT FOLLOWING GND MAN'S SIGNAL VERY WELL. HE DID NOT STOP THE ACFT WHEN THE CREW MEMBER STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE TRAILER. CREW DUTY TIME WAS NOT A FACTOR.

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.