Narrative:

After landing in pittsburgh, arriving from baltimore, we switched to ramp control and proceeded to gate. The gate is the tightest fit we have in pittsburgh. After slowing down and lining up on the yellow guide line, we proceeded. There was an aircraft parked at a gate we have to pass then turn hard right into our gate a. To the left of us is a concrete dividing barrier. Just to the right of the barrier was a baggage cart tug. I was more concerned with the aircraft parked to the right of us than the tug to the left of us. Once we were parked and engines shut down, we deplaned. While leaving the aircraft, a mechanic approached me and told me I had hit the left wingtip on that tug. We wouldn't even had known it had the mechanic not said something. The underside of the extreme left wingtip was scratched, but the lenses were not cracked or broken. A small piece of aluminum was missing from the very end of the leading edge slat. As it turned out, the tug was in the wrong place. Being on the yellow guide line, I thought, incorrectly, I would be clear of both the aircraft to the right and the tug to the left. I understand there have been problems at this gate before, because of the close proximity to other aircraft and the baggage cart area. That's not an excuse, just an observation. I am the captain, and that makes me responsible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEFT WING TIP OF ACR MLG HIT A TUG WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE AT PIT.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG IN PITTSBURGH, ARRIVING FROM BALTIMORE, WE SWITCHED TO RAMP CTL AND PROCEEDED TO GATE. THE GATE IS THE TIGHTEST FIT WE HAVE IN PITTSBURGH. AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND LINING UP ON THE YELLOW GUIDE LINE, WE PROCEEDED. THERE WAS AN ACFT PARKED AT A GATE WE HAVE TO PASS THEN TURN HARD R INTO OUR GATE A. TO THE L OF US IS A CONCRETE DIVIDING BARRIER. JUST TO THE R OF THE BARRIER WAS A BAGGAGE CART TUG. I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE ACFT PARKED TO THE R OF US THAN THE TUG TO THE L OF US. ONCE WE WERE PARKED AND ENGS SHUT DOWN, WE DEPLANED. WHILE LEAVING THE ACFT, A MECH APCHED ME AND TOLD ME I HAD HIT THE L WINGTIP ON THAT TUG. WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAD KNOWN IT HAD THE MECH NOT SAID SOMETHING. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE EXTREME L WINGTIP WAS SCRATCHED, BUT THE LENSES WERE NOT CRACKED OR BROKEN. A SMALL PIECE OF ALUMINUM WAS MISSING FROM THE VERY END OF THE LEADING EDGE SLAT. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE TUG WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE. BEING ON THE YELLOW GUIDE LINE, I THOUGHT, INCORRECTLY, I WOULD BE CLR OF BOTH THE ACFT TO THE R AND THE TUG TO THE L. I UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN PROBS AT THIS GATE BEFORE, BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROX TO OTHER ACFT AND THE BAGGAGE CART AREA. THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE, JUST AN OBSERVATION. I AM THE CAPT, AND THAT MAKES ME RESPONSIBLE.

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.