Air carrier large transport hits vehicle with wing tip while parking at gate.

Attributes
ACN	176344
Time
Date	199104
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
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 : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	176344
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On taxiing to the gate in atl, a mechanic was directing us to the parking spot. Approximately 5-10' from the park spot we felt the aircraft jolt as though the aircraft had taxied into a chock. We applied the brakes; the mechanic with wands in hand looked around as if we had hit a chock. Even our first officer had remarked that we had probably run into a chock. The mechanic not seeing anything in our path, and acting as if what ever had been in our way had been removed again resumed to guide us to the gate. Then someone got the word to the mechanic that we had indeed hit a veh on the left wing tip. If the mechanic had not been standing on the back of the tow motor he probably could have seen the veh off our wing tip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HITS VEHICLE WITH WING TIP WHILE PARKING AT GATE.

Narrative: ON TAXIING TO THE GATE IN ATL, A MECH WAS DIRECTING US TO THE PARKING SPOT. APPROX 5-10' FROM THE PARK SPOT WE FELT THE ACFT JOLT AS THOUGH THE ACFT HAD TAXIED INTO A CHOCK. WE APPLIED THE BRAKES; THE MECH WITH WANDS IN HAND LOOKED AROUND AS IF WE HAD HIT A CHOCK. EVEN OUR F/O HAD REMARKED THAT WE HAD PROBABLY RUN INTO A CHOCK. THE MECH NOT SEEING ANYTHING IN OUR PATH, AND ACTING AS IF WHAT EVER HAD BEEN IN OUR WAY HAD BEEN REMOVED AGAIN RESUMED TO GUIDE US TO THE GATE. THEN SOMEONE GOT THE WORD TO THE MECH THAT WE HAD INDEED HIT A VEH ON THE L WING TIP. IF THE MECH HAD NOT BEEN STANDING ON THE BACK OF THE TOW MOTOR HE PROBABLY COULD HAVE SEEN THE VEH OFF OUR WING TIP.

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.