Narrative:

We landed on runway 8 at bur, captain's leg. When slow, we turned immediately into gate (at bur, our gates are 200-300' off to the side of runway 8 and require 30 seconds of taxi time. We barely have time to perform the after landing/taxi checklist.) after the 90 degree turnoff, straight into the gate, the captain noticed mobile passenger stairs to the right and asked me if we had clearance. I looked up from where my other duties had me and out to the right to see the stairs at 1-2 O'clock and a wing-walker watching the wing and indicating thumbs up with his wand. I informed the captain that we had clearance and continued watching until the stairs passed 3-4 O'clock. From the cockpit, we cannot see the wings. I went back to my checklist and made the arrival passenger announcement. Soon after deplaning, we were informed that the right wing tip had struck the stairs. Damage was slight--scratched skin, loss of a static wick and a broken wing tip tail light. The light was replaced within 30 mins and we departed on our next flight on schedule. Another 1/2' and we would have missed the stairs. We do not know why we were not instructed to stop by our guideman. Also, there are no safety markings at that gate indicating aircraft clearance requirements. Supplemental information from acn 174933: contributing factors: instant turnoff bur runway 8 into gate area doesn't permit full process of potential operational hazards. Are ground guide men and wing walkers tested for necessary vision? Are ground personnel aware of sweptwing turning clearance misperceptions? Are wing walkers west/O prior aviation experience supervised long enough to ensure competence?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAXIING WITH WING WALKERS 'THUMBS UP' HAS WING TIP HIT PASSENGER STAIRS.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 8 AT BUR, CAPT'S LEG. WHEN SLOW, WE TURNED IMMEDIATELY INTO GATE (AT BUR, OUR GATES ARE 200-300' OFF TO THE SIDE OF RWY 8 AND REQUIRE 30 SECS OF TAXI TIME. WE BARELY HAVE TIME TO PERFORM THE AFTER LNDG/TAXI CHKLIST.) AFTER THE 90 DEG TURNOFF, STRAIGHT INTO THE GATE, THE CAPT NOTICED MOBILE PAX STAIRS TO THE RIGHT AND ASKED ME IF WE HAD CLRNC. I LOOKED UP FROM WHERE MY OTHER DUTIES HAD ME AND OUT TO THE RIGHT TO SEE THE STAIRS AT 1-2 O'CLOCK AND A WING-WALKER WATCHING THE WING AND INDICATING THUMBS UP WITH HIS WAND. I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE HAD CLRNC AND CONTINUED WATCHING UNTIL THE STAIRS PASSED 3-4 O'CLOCK. FROM THE COCKPIT, WE CANNOT SEE THE WINGS. I WENT BACK TO MY CHKLIST AND MADE THE ARR PAX ANNOUNCEMENT. SOON AFTER DEPLANING, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE RIGHT WING TIP HAD STRUCK THE STAIRS. DAMAGE WAS SLIGHT--SCRATCHED SKIN, LOSS OF A STATIC WICK AND A BROKEN WING TIP TAIL LIGHT. THE LIGHT WAS REPLACED WITHIN 30 MINS AND WE DEPARTED ON OUR NEXT FLT ON SCHEDULE. ANOTHER 1/2' AND WE WOULD HAVE MISSED THE STAIRS. WE DO NOT KNOW WHY WE WERE NOT INSTRUCTED TO STOP BY OUR GUIDEMAN. ALSO, THERE ARE NO SAFETY MARKINGS AT THAT GATE INDICATING ACFT CLRNC REQUIREMENTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 174933: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INSTANT TURNOFF BUR RWY 8 INTO GATE AREA DOESN'T PERMIT FULL PROCESS OF POTENTIAL OPERATIONAL HAZARDS. ARE GND GUIDE MEN AND WING WALKERS TESTED FOR NECESSARY VISION? ARE GND PERSONNEL AWARE OF SWEPTWING TURNING CLRNC MISPERCEPTIONS? ARE WING WALKERS W/O PRIOR AVIATION EXPERIENCE SUPERVISED LONG ENOUGH TO ENSURE COMPETENCE?

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.