Medium large transport wingtip strikes fuel truck while parking at gate.

Attributes
ACN	226226
Time
Date	199211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12961 flight time type : 1262
ASRS Report	226226
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While taxiing to the gate, my left wingtip struck a parked fuel truck. The truck was at the next gate waiting for its next flight and it appeared that it was outside the wing clear line. My taxi route was on the right side of the lead-in line and under the direction of company personnel parking the aircraft. The signalman was observing the left side of the aircraft and motioning me forward at the same time when the aircraft struck the fuel truck. After the incident the signalman continued to motion me forward to the gate, at this point I stopped the aircraft, leaned out the window and observed no apparent damage and then I parked the gate. Reviewing the incident from the ground I observed that the length of the truck exceeded the length of the wing clear line. The forward part of the truck was outside the line and appeared clear but it was parked at an angle so the rear of the truck was inside the extension of the wing clear line. I have no explanation why the signalman continued to marshall me forward without clearing the wingtip. I feel that fuel trucks should not be allowed to park on the ramp unless they are completely outside a wing clear line.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG WINGTIP STRIKES FUEL TRUCK WHILE PARKING AT GATE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE, MY L WINGTIP STRUCK A PARKED FUEL TRUCK. THE TRUCK WAS AT THE NEXT GATE WAITING FOR ITS NEXT FLT AND IT APPEARED THAT IT WAS OUTSIDE THE WING CLR LINE. MY TAXI RTE WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE LEAD-IN LINE AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF COMPANY PERSONNEL PARKING THE ACFT. THE SIGNALMAN WAS OBSERVING THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND MOTIONING ME FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THE ACFT STRUCK THE FUEL TRUCK. AFTER THE INCIDENT THE SIGNALMAN CONTINUED TO MOTION ME FORWARD TO THE GATE, AT THIS POINT I STOPPED THE ACFT, LEANED OUT THE WINDOW AND OBSERVED NO APPARENT DAMAGE AND THEN I PARKED THE GATE. REVIEWING THE INCIDENT FROM THE GND I OBSERVED THAT THE LENGTH OF THE TRUCK EXCEEDED THE LENGTH OF THE WING CLR LINE. THE FORWARD PART OF THE TRUCK WAS OUTSIDE THE LINE AND APPEARED CLR BUT IT WAS PARKED AT AN ANGLE SO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK WAS INSIDE THE EXTENSION OF THE WING CLR LINE. I HAVE NO EXPLANATION WHY THE SIGNALMAN CONTINUED TO MARSHALL ME FORWARD WITHOUT CLRING THE WINGTIP. I FEEL THAT FUEL TRUCKS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARK ON THE RAMP UNLESS THEY ARE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE A WING CLR LINE.

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.