Narrative:

Aircraft was under marshaller's direction when the left elevator struck the terminal building. San has been under construction for some time now. Recently, however, construction has caused the airlines to shuffle gate space. We have always used gate in san, but the adjacent gate has always been unoccupied so we were able to pull into the gate and turn around in order to power out of the gate later. With gate occupied, we had less room. Someone (not yet determined) had painted some lines for the marshallers to use for reference. As I proceeded into the gate, I followed the marshaller's instructions very careful (because of the restr clearance) the ramp had some standing water from a recent rain so I turned off my taxi light early(I normally turn off the light anyway as I turn towards the marshaller) to prevent glare. As the marshaller directed me into a right turn to reverse direction, the left outboard edge of the elevator struck the top of the terminal building. I felt the impact and stopped immediately, set the brakes, and shut down both engines. As my first officer deplaned the passenger (he made sure they were okay), I ensured the shutdown was complete. We inspected the damage and noted that the nosewheel was right on top of the newly painted yellow lines. The marshaller even said 'you are the first ones to do what I said.' all other aircraft had missed the hazard only because they deviated slightly from the marshaller's instructions. My company never notified me of the potential hazard. I found later that the company had been warned of the potential hazard at least 1 week prior to the incident. Numerous comments later such as 'I knew something like that was going to happen' indicate to me a lackadaisical attitude towards safety. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the company has repainted the 'yellow' parking line and discontinued the aircraft power turn around and pull straight into the parking gate space. The aircraft is then 'pushed back' out of the parking gate. Reporter states that his incident caused the company to immediately revise their parking procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT ACFT STRUCK THE TERMINAL BUILDING WHILE PARKING AT THE TERMINAL GATE WITH THE L ELEVATOR.

Narrative: ACFT WAS UNDER MARSHALLER'S DIRECTION WHEN THE L ELEVATOR STRUCK THE TERMINAL BUILDING. SAN HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR SOME TIME NOW. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, CONSTRUCTION HAS CAUSED THE AIRLINES TO SHUFFLE GATE SPACE. WE HAVE ALWAYS USED GATE IN SAN, BUT THE ADJACENT GATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNOCCUPIED SO WE WERE ABLE TO PULL INTO THE GATE AND TURN AROUND IN ORDER TO PWR OUT OF THE GATE LATER. WITH GATE OCCUPIED, WE HAD LESS ROOM. SOMEONE (NOT YET DETERMINED) HAD PAINTED SOME LINES FOR THE MARSHALLERS TO USE FOR REF. AS I PROCEEDED INTO THE GATE, I FOLLOWED THE MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFUL (BECAUSE OF THE RESTR CLRNC) THE RAMP HAD SOME STANDING WATER FROM A RECENT RAIN SO I TURNED OFF MY TAXI LIGHT EARLY(I NORMALLY TURN OFF THE LIGHT ANYWAY AS I TURN TOWARDS THE MARSHALLER) TO PREVENT GLARE. AS THE MARSHALLER DIRECTED ME INTO A R TURN TO REVERSE DIRECTION, THE L OUTBOARD EDGE OF THE ELEVATOR STRUCK THE TOP OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING. I FELT THE IMPACT AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, SET THE BRAKES, AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. AS MY FO DEPLANED THE PAX (HE MADE SURE THEY WERE OKAY), I ENSURED THE SHUTDOWN WAS COMPLETE. WE INSPECTED THE DAMAGE AND NOTED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF THE NEWLY PAINTED YELLOW LINES. THE MARSHALLER EVEN SAID 'YOU ARE THE FIRST ONES TO DO WHAT I SAID.' ALL OTHER ACFT HAD MISSED THE HAZARD ONLY BECAUSE THEY DEVIATED SLIGHTLY FROM THE MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS. MY COMPANY NEVER NOTIFIED ME OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARD. I FOUND LATER THAT THE COMPANY HAD BEEN WARNED OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARD AT LEAST 1 WK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. NUMEROUS COMMENTS LATER SUCH AS 'I KNEW SOMETHING LIKE THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN' INDICATE TO ME A LACKADAISICAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE COMPANY HAS REPAINTED THE 'YELLOW' PARKING LINE AND DISCONTINUED THE ACFT PWR TURN AROUND AND PULL STRAIGHT INTO THE PARKING GATE SPACE. THE ACFT IS THEN 'PUSHED BACK' OUT OF THE PARKING GATE. RPTR STATES THAT HIS INCIDENT CAUSED THE COMPANY TO IMMEDIATELY REVISE THEIR PARKING PROCS.

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.