Air carrier large transport parking at gate at ewr hits ground equipment.

Attributes
ACN	151139
Time
Date	199007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked 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 : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	151139
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	151403
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Taxiing into the gate at terminal C, newark airport, nj, there was a widebody loader in proximity to the gate on the left side. A marshaller was directing the aircraft in along the taxi line and a second person was near the marshaller, left of the aircraft. It appeared that the marshaller and other man had a good angle to tell that the aircraft wing was clear of the loader, and the marshaller continued directing the aircraft forward as if it was clear of the loader. The captain was looking out the left side window and it appeared that the wing was clear of the loader. The aircraft shuddered when the wing contacted the loader, and the marshaller continued directing the aircraft forward after the contact. The aircraft was stopped and shut down immediately following the contact. Several outboard wing panels were dented. Someone should have been positioned physically by the obstruction to clear the wing tip, the captain should have stopped taxiing until there was a wing walker. Supplemental information from acn 151403. After the fact, we learned the can/cargo loader parked, supposedly, in the clear zone and to the left side of the centerline for gate had a mechanical breakdown and was either just repaired or in any event sitting there awaiting the arrival of another aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT PARKING AT GATE AT EWR HITS GND EQUIPMENT.

Narrative: TAXIING INTO THE GATE AT TERMINAL C, NEWARK ARPT, NJ, THERE WAS A WIDEBODY LOADER IN PROX TO THE GATE ON THE L SIDE. A MARSHALLER WAS DIRECTING THE ACFT IN ALONG THE TAXI LINE AND A SECOND PERSON WAS NEAR THE MARSHALLER, L OF THE ACFT. IT APPEARED THAT THE MARSHALLER AND OTHER MAN HAD A GOOD ANGLE TO TELL THAT THE ACFT WING WAS CLR OF THE LOADER, AND THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED DIRECTING THE ACFT FORWARD AS IF IT WAS CLR OF THE LOADER. THE CAPT WAS LOOKING OUT THE L SIDE WINDOW AND IT APPEARED THAT THE WING WAS CLR OF THE LOADER. THE ACFT SHUDDERED WHEN THE WING CONTACTED THE LOADER, AND THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED DIRECTING THE ACFT FORWARD AFTER THE CONTACT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AND SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CONTACT. SEVERAL OUTBOARD WING PANELS WERE DENTED. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSITIONED PHYSICALLY BY THE OBSTRUCTION TO CLR THE WING TIP, THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED TAXIING UNTIL THERE WAS A WING WALKER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 151403. AFTER THE FACT, WE LEARNED THE CAN/CARGO LOADER PARKED, SUPPOSEDLY, IN THE CLR ZONE AND TO THE L SIDE OF THE CTRLINE FOR GATE HAD A MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN AND WAS EITHER JUST REPAIRED OR IN ANY EVENT SITTING THERE AWAITING THE ARR OF ANOTHER ACFT.

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.