B737-800 captain reported making an emergency stop as directed by ground personnel while arriving at...

Narrative:

After arrival ramp cleared us into [the] gate. Marshaler was assisted by two wing walkers. All equipment was behind the lines. While approaching the stop line on centerline; captain was given the emergency stop signal by the marshaler. Everyone went to look at the left split scimitar which was about 2 inches from a gate gourmet truck parked right adjacent to the red line. The wing would have hit the truck if the aircraft had continued. There was no contact; so they found the driver; moved the truck and we pulled into the gate. Captain went to talk to the ramp crew and discovered that the catering trucks are parking in spots labeled for baggage carts. With smaller planes it isn't that noticeable; but with a 737-800 the clearance is not a safe margin on the high vehicles. With a baggage cart there is vertical and horizontal clearance; with the catering truck parked in that spot and the plane on centerline there is no vertical separation; and only inches laterally if the plane doesn't cut the corner coming into the gate. If the plane is crooked at all the clearance is gone. Ground crew had not seen this issue before and they were all asked to file reports as well; stating the lack of adequate separation. If it wasn't for the quick reaction of the wing walker and the marshaler; we would have scraped metal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 Captain reported making an emergency stop as directed by ground personnel while arriving at the gate; narrowly avoiding a collision with a catering truck.

Narrative: After arrival ramp cleared us into [the] gate. Marshaler was assisted by two wing walkers. All equipment was behind the lines. While approaching the stop line on centerline; Captain was given the emergency stop signal by the Marshaler. Everyone went to look at the left split scimitar which was about 2 inches from a gate gourmet truck parked right adjacent to the red line. The wing would have hit the truck if the aircraft had continued. There was no contact; so they found the driver; moved the truck and we pulled into the gate. Captain went to talk to the ramp crew and discovered that the catering trucks are parking in spots labeled for baggage carts. With smaller planes it isn't that noticeable; but with a 737-800 the clearance is not a safe margin on the high vehicles. With a baggage cart there is vertical and horizontal clearance; with the catering truck parked in that spot and the plane on centerline there is no vertical separation; and only inches laterally if the plane doesn't cut the corner coming into the gate. If the plane is crooked at all the clearance is gone. Ground crew had not seen this issue before and they were all asked to file reports as well; stating the lack of adequate separation. If it wasn't for the quick reaction of the wing walker and the Marshaler; we would have scraped metal.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

Attributes
ACN	1542950
Time
Date	201805
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	LGA.Airport
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80 Flight Crew Type 1697
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Ground Conflict Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

B737-800 captain reported making an emergency stop as directed by ground personnel while arriving at the gate; narrowly avoiding a collision with a catering truck.