Narrative:

We completed pushback and single engine (#1) start abeam gate west. Marshaller was cleared off headset after advising us that she would 'walk' our left wing as we were relatively close to an aircraft on gate X or Y. We had an air carrier #1 behind us, air carrier #2 ahead. All of the air carrier #1 aircraft were on the northern half of the alley. Medium large transport had 2 medium large transport's ahead of us and an air carrier #2 behind us all on the southern half of the alley. I called our ramp controller who issued clearance ahead to gate Z. Upon initiation of our taxi, I noticed the air carrier #2 taxiing on a course that would put him directly ahead of us on the north side of the alley. I mentioned the air carrier #2 aircraft to the captain. His attention was then diverted to the right of the aircraft and a possible conflict with that aircraft. He felt that our left wing would clear the medium large transport, which it did. Because of his attention to the right side, he didn't observe the left wing walker indicating 'stop' due to a catering truck moving in our direction. Our left wingtip clipped the truck resulting in a nonstructural damage to our left navigation light assembly. Suggestions: ramp markings indicating north and south division of alley. Clear understanding and procedure that air carrier #1 aircraft stay north, air carrier #2 stays south unless clearance is issued by the appropriate ramp control on the proper radio frequency. (An attempt to bring order and control to an extremely congested ramp.) ramp markings for support equipment (catering, bag tugs, etc). Lanes that allow adequate clearance from aircraft on movement area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT STRUCK A CATERING TRUCK DURING RAMP CONCOURSE TAXI OUT.

Narrative: WE COMPLETED PUSHBACK AND SINGLE ENG (#1) START ABEAM GATE W. MARSHALLER WAS CLRED OFF HEADSET AFTER ADVISING US THAT SHE WOULD 'WALK' OUR L WING AS WE WERE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO AN ACFT ON GATE X OR Y. WE HAD AN ACR #1 BEHIND US, ACR #2 AHEAD. ALL OF THE ACR #1 ACFT WERE ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE ALLEY. MLG HAD 2 MLG'S AHEAD OF US AND AN ACR #2 BEHIND US ALL ON THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE ALLEY. I CALLED OUR RAMP CTLR WHO ISSUED CLRNC AHEAD TO GATE Z. UPON INITIATION OF OUR TAXI, I NOTICED THE ACR #2 TAXIING ON A COURSE THAT WOULD PUT HIM DIRECTLY AHEAD OF US ON THE N SIDE OF THE ALLEY. I MENTIONED THE ACR #2 ACFT TO THE CAPT. HIS ATTN WAS THEN DIVERTED TO THE R OF THE ACFT AND A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH THAT ACFT. HE FELT THAT OUR L WING WOULD CLR THE MLG, WHICH IT DID. BECAUSE OF HIS ATTN TO THE R SIDE, HE DIDN'T OBSERVE THE L WING WALKER INDICATING 'STOP' DUE TO A CATERING TRUCK MOVING IN OUR DIRECTION. OUR L WINGTIP CLIPPED THE TRUCK RESULTING IN A NONSTRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO OUR L NAV LIGHT ASSEMBLY. SUGGESTIONS: RAMP MARKINGS INDICATING N AND S DIVISION OF ALLEY. CLR UNDERSTANDING AND PROC THAT ACR #1 ACFT STAY NORTH, ACR #2 STAYS S UNLESS CLRNC IS ISSUED BY THE APPROPRIATE RAMP CTL ON THE PROPER RADIO FREQ. (AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ORDER AND CTL TO AN EXTREMELY CONGESTED RAMP.) RAMP MARKINGS FOR SUPPORT EQUIP (CATERING, BAG TUGS, ETC). LANES THAT ALLOW ADEQUATE CLRNC FROM ACFT ON MOVEMENT AREA.

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.