Narrative:

Upon taxi in at gate a at lax, the left wing of our widebody transport struck the vertical fin on the light transport parked on the adjacent ramp. The light transport was parked with his tail toward the widebody transport at about a 45 degree angle. His tail was located on the left gate 'clear boundary' yellow line. A wingwalker as well as a nose marshaller both were present at gate a, and the 'green light' was on the gate electronic taxi guide. The ramp appeared to be clear by the aircrew and at no time did the ground crew give a stop signal to the aircrew. The bottom leading edge of the left wing of the widebody transport struck the tip of vertical fin of the light transport damaging the top 12 inches. The widebody transport wing was not damaged. Causes: 1) improper parking of the light transport too close to the boundary to gate a. 2) parking of the light transport with its tail towards the wing of an adjacent aircraft. 3) poor communication between the widebody transport wingwalker, nose marshaller, and the cockpit crew. 4) poorly marked gate boundaries at gate a. Recommendations: 1) review and correct, if necessary, the parking procedure of the ltts at the ramp next to gate a. 2) improve communication between marshallers, wingwalkers, and aircrews. 3) repaint the gate boundary at gate a. Supplemental information from acn 216896: I work for a commuter airline. We had boarded passenger for a flight from lax to yum. Just as we were finishing the paperwork an air carrier widebody transport hit our tail with his left wing, while inbound to his gate. He had wingwalkers but apparently there was a lack of communication. Better awareness of ground crew personnel would have avoided this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB TAXIING INTO GATE WITH WINGWALKERS AND NOSE MARSHALLER HAS WING CROSS OVER AND HIT VERT FIN OF PARKED LTT.

Narrative: UPON TAXI IN AT GATE A AT LAX, THE L WING OF OUR WDB STRUCK THE VERT FIN ON THE LTT PARKED ON THE ADJACENT RAMP. THE LTT WAS PARKED WITH HIS TAIL TOWARD THE WDB AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. HIS TAIL WAS LOCATED ON THE L GATE 'CLR BOUNDARY' YELLOW LINE. A WINGWALKER AS WELL AS A NOSE MARSHALLER BOTH WERE PRESENT AT GATE A, AND THE 'GREEN LIGHT' WAS ON THE GATE ELECTRONIC TAXI GUIDE. THE RAMP APPEARED TO BE CLR BY THE AIRCREW AND AT NO TIME DID THE GND CREW GIVE A STOP SIGNAL TO THE AIRCREW. THE BOTTOM LEADING EDGE OF THE L WING OF THE WDB STRUCK THE TIP OF VERT FIN OF THE LTT DAMAGING THE TOP 12 INCHES. THE WDB WING WAS NOT DAMAGED. CAUSES: 1) IMPROPER PARKING OF THE LTT TOO CLOSE TO THE BOUNDARY TO GATE A. 2) PARKING OF THE LTT WITH ITS TAIL TOWARDS THE WING OF AN ADJACENT ACFT. 3) POOR COM BTWN THE WDB WINGWALKER, NOSE MARSHALLER, AND THE COCKPIT CREW. 4) POORLY MARKED GATE BOUNDARIES AT GATE A. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REVIEW AND CORRECT, IF NECESSARY, THE PARKING PROC OF THE LTTS AT THE RAMP NEXT TO GATE A. 2) IMPROVE COM BTWN MARSHALLERS, WINGWALKERS, AND AIRCREWS. 3) REPAINT THE GATE BOUNDARY AT GATE A. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 216896: I WORK FOR A COMMUTER AIRLINE. WE HAD BOARDED PAX FOR A FLT FROM LAX TO YUM. JUST AS WE WERE FINISHING THE PAPERWORK AN ACR WDB HIT OUR TAIL WITH HIS L WING, WHILE INBOUND TO HIS GATE. HE HAD WINGWALKERS BUT APPARENTLY THERE WAS A LACK OF COM. BETTER AWARENESS OF GND CREW PERSONNEL WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS.

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.