Narrative:

I was the copilot on airlines flight that had just landed from a trip to the grand canyon and had reported in. My captain was taxiing the aircraft into the ramp. All parked aircraft on the ramp were facing south, into the wind. It was intended that we should taxi around 2 parked aircraft and park abeam them in row also facing south. Since it is company policy to be marshalled into the intended parking spot by a ramper on that spot, we followed our ramper's directions accordingly. Other rampers were standing by, and did not offer assistance. As we taxied west, behind the 2 aircraft facing south, we taxied approximately 10 ft north of the taxi line so as to avoid them (there were no aircraft parked in the northern- most row that were a factor). We were well clear of any obstructions on my (north) side of the aircraft, and I thought we had adequate clearance on our left side. Unfortunately, my vision is restr on our left side by the basic design of the aircraft. My captain evidently continued to follow the ramper's directions forward into our spot. Our left wingtip impacted the rudder of the second aircraft. As it turns out, the parked aircraft struck was approximately 15 ft aft of where it would normally have been. Neither the captain nor myself had noticed this on the way in. Damage to both aircraft is minimal, according to the company, and not a rptable accident or incident as defined in NTSB 830. However, the captain lost his job as a result of this, and I was admonished to be more careful. In my opinion, there was no lack of care or lapse of attention by the flight crew. Flcs are expected to taxi into tight confines of the ramp with limited outward visibility. My recommendation to the company will be to assign at least 2 rampers to each aircraft, 1 responsible for each wingtip.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT TAXIED L WINGTIP INTO THE TAIL OF PARKED COMPANY ACFT. PIC WAS FIRED.

Narrative: I WAS THE COPLT ON AIRLINES FLT THAT HAD JUST LANDED FROM A TRIP TO THE GRAND CANYON AND HAD RPTED IN. MY CAPT WAS TAXIING THE ACFT INTO THE RAMP. ALL PARKED ACFT ON THE RAMP WERE FACING S, INTO THE WIND. IT WAS INTENDED THAT WE SHOULD TAXI AROUND 2 PARKED ACFT AND PARK ABEAM THEM IN ROW ALSO FACING S. SINCE IT IS COMPANY POLICY TO BE MARSHALLED INTO THE INTENDED PARKING SPOT BY A RAMPER ON THAT SPOT, WE FOLLOWED OUR RAMPER'S DIRECTIONS ACCORDINGLY. OTHER RAMPERS WERE STANDING BY, AND DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. AS WE TAXIED W, BEHIND THE 2 ACFT FACING S, WE TAXIED APPROX 10 FT N OF THE TAXI LINE SO AS TO AVOID THEM (THERE WERE NO ACFT PARKED IN THE NORTHERN- MOST ROW THAT WERE A FACTOR). WE WERE WELL CLR OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS ON MY (N) SIDE OF THE ACFT, AND I THOUGHT WE HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC ON OUR L SIDE. UNFORTUNATELY, MY VISION IS RESTR ON OUR L SIDE BY THE BASIC DESIGN OF THE ACFT. MY CAPT EVIDENTLY CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE RAMPER'S DIRECTIONS FORWARD INTO OUR SPOT. OUR L WINGTIP IMPACTED THE RUDDER OF THE SECOND ACFT. AS IT TURNS OUT, THE PARKED ACFT STRUCK WAS APPROX 15 FT AFT OF WHERE IT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR MYSELF HAD NOTICED THIS ON THE WAY IN. DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT IS MINIMAL, ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY, AND NOT A RPTABLE ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT AS DEFINED IN NTSB 830. HOWEVER, THE CAPT LOST HIS JOB AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND I WAS ADMONISHED TO BE MORE CAREFUL. IN MY OPINION, THERE WAS NO LACK OF CARE OR LAPSE OF ATTN BY THE FLC. FLCS ARE EXPECTED TO TAXI INTO TIGHT CONFINES OF THE RAMP WITH LIMITED OUTWARD VISIBILITY. MY RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMPANY WILL BE TO ASSIGN AT LEAST 2 RAMPERS TO EACH ACFT, 1 RESPONSIBLE FOR EACH WINGTIP.

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.