Air carrier taxi to parking. With signalman wing-walker actively directing, wing struck jetway.

Attributes
ACN	147370
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	147370
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

As I taxied aircraft onto parking ramp, ground signalman signaled me to the rear of our parking area. As I continued to taxi, I slowed aircraft to a slow walk since it appeared we would be parking close to terminal bldg. Signalman started giving me 'turn left' instructions at which time I gave hard left nose wheel steering. I observed him move to my right to watch right wing clearance, and he continued giving me turn left instructions. West/O any warning from signalman, my right wing struck the jetway and we came to a stop. The first officer then told me we had hit the jetway. First officer also stated that we had a wing-walker who had been giving signals to continue the taxi up to the time aircraft hit the jetway. I shut the aircraft engines down using normal checklist. At no time did signalman, wing-walker or first officer tell me to stop taxiing. The right wing cannot be seen from the captain's seat. This type of incident is a recurring situation. Because of the tight parking area, aircraft are parked in very close proximity of each other. Ramp personnel are pressured because of flight schedules to park too many in an area designed for half as much. Also, ramp experience among parkers average 6 months employment. I believe that the capts need to stop the aircraft and not follow ground instructions when there is any doubt of aircraft safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAXI TO PARKING. WITH SIGNALMAN WING-WALKER ACTIVELY DIRECTING, WING STRUCK JETWAY.

Narrative: AS I TAXIED ACFT ONTO PARKING RAMP, GND SIGNALMAN SIGNALED ME TO THE REAR OF OUR PARKING AREA. AS I CONTINUED TO TAXI, I SLOWED ACFT TO A SLOW WALK SINCE IT APPEARED WE WOULD BE PARKING CLOSE TO TERMINAL BLDG. SIGNALMAN STARTED GIVING ME 'TURN LEFT' INSTRUCTIONS AT WHICH TIME I GAVE HARD LEFT NOSE WHEEL STEERING. I OBSERVED HIM MOVE TO MY RIGHT TO WATCH RIGHT WING CLRNC, AND HE CONTINUED GIVING ME TURN LEFT INSTRUCTIONS. W/O ANY WARNING FROM SIGNALMAN, MY RIGHT WING STRUCK THE JETWAY AND WE CAME TO A STOP. THE F/O THEN TOLD ME WE HAD HIT THE JETWAY. F/O ALSO STATED THAT WE HAD A WING-WALKER WHO HAD BEEN GIVING SIGNALS TO CONTINUE THE TAXI UP TO THE TIME ACFT HIT THE JETWAY. I SHUT THE ACFT ENGS DOWN USING NORMAL CHKLIST. AT NO TIME DID SIGNALMAN, WING-WALKER OR F/O TELL ME TO STOP TAXIING. THE RIGHT WING CANNOT BE SEEN FROM THE CAPT'S SEAT. THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT IS A RECURRING SITUATION. BECAUSE OF THE TIGHT PARKING AREA, ACFT ARE PARKED IN VERY CLOSE PROX OF EACH OTHER. RAMP PERSONNEL ARE PRESSURED BECAUSE OF FLT SCHEDULES TO PARK TOO MANY IN AN AREA DESIGNED FOR HALF AS MUCH. ALSO, RAMP EXPERIENCE AMONG PARKERS AVERAGE 6 MONTHS EMPLOYMENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAPTS NEED TO STOP THE ACFT AND NOT FOLLOW GND INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THERE IS ANY DOUBT OF ACFT SAFETY.

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.