Narrative:

En route to btr the captain and I discussed the taxi-in procedure at btr. We discussed the possibility of taxiing north from the rollout end of 22R into the ramp area. There were no NOTAMS or notes on the charts indicating that this is not an acceptable route, but we decided that we should ask ground control after landing if this is an acceptable route to the gate. After landing, we asked ground control if it would be acceptable to go straight ahead into the ramp area and they replied 'that will be ok' or 'that will be fine' or words to that effect. We then proceeded straight ahead toward our gate. However, as we approached the wide area of the ramp, we saw an airplane parked close enough to the taxiway so as to provide minimal clearance between it and a portable stairway parked beside the hangar. The captain slowed the aircraft to a very slow taxi speed as we assessed the situation. It appeared that we had adequate clearance if we stayed on the taxi line. We considered going around the parked aircraft, however, there were no lines and the area was poorly lit. We decided to proceed along the painted taxi line. The closer we came, the tighter it appeared, and the captain actually deviated to the right of the taxi line to avoid the stairs. He hesitated to move further right for fear of striking the aircraft. After parking the aircraft, we inspected the left wingtip and found a scratch approximately 10 inches long behind the navigation light, and a hole about the size of a pencil eraser, and a broken static wick. Maintenance repaired the broken static wick, made a temporary repair to the hole with speed tape and returned the aircraft to service. This type of incident should be so easy to avoid. Ground control should be our friend. We may have 'legally' been allowed to taxi across that portion of the ramp, but ground control should have discouraged us from doing so. There was only one other aircraft on the ground at that time -- it's not as if they were so busy that they couldn't offer advice. Btr should change airport procedures and not allow commercial aviation to taxi on that part of the ramp. Their taxi lines do not provide adequate clearance for our aircraft and the area does not have sufficient light. A note should be placed on charts indicating the proper taxi route to the gate when landing 22R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WINGTIP STRIKES PAX STAIRS WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE.

Narrative: ENRTE TO BTR THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE TAXI-IN PROC AT BTR. WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF TAXIING N FROM THE ROLLOUT END OF 22R INTO THE RAMP AREA. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS OR NOTES ON THE CHARTS INDICATING THAT THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE RTE, BUT WE DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD ASK GND CTL AFTER LNDG IF THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE RTE TO THE GATE. AFTER LNDG, WE ASKED GND CTL IF IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO THE RAMP AREA AND THEY REPLIED 'THAT WILL BE OK' OR 'THAT WILL BE FINE' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. WE THEN PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD TOWARD OUR GATE. HOWEVER, AS WE APCHED THE WIDE AREA OF THE RAMP, WE SAW AN AIRPLANE PARKED CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE TXWY SO AS TO PROVIDE MINIMAL CLRNC BTWN IT AND A PORTABLE STAIRWAY PARKED BESIDE THE HANGAR. THE CAPT SLOWED THE ACFT TO A VERY SLOW TAXI SPD AS WE ASSESSED THE SIT. IT APPEARED THAT WE HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC IF WE STAYED ON THE TAXI LINE. WE CONSIDERED GOING AROUND THE PARKED ACFT, HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO LINES AND THE AREA WAS POORLY LIT. WE DECIDED TO PROCEED ALONG THE PAINTED TAXI LINE. THE CLOSER WE CAME, THE TIGHTER IT APPEARED, AND THE CAPT ACTUALLY DEVIATED TO THE R OF THE TAXI LINE TO AVOID THE STAIRS. HE HESITATED TO MOVE FURTHER R FOR FEAR OF STRIKING THE ACFT. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT, WE INSPECTED THE L WINGTIP AND FOUND A SCRATCH APPROX 10 INCHES LONG BEHIND THE NAV LIGHT, AND A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER, AND A BROKEN STATIC WICK. MAINT REPAIRED THE BROKEN STATIC WICK, MADE A TEMPORARY REPAIR TO THE HOLE WITH SPD TAPE AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC. THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT SHOULD BE SO EASY TO AVOID. GND CTL SHOULD BE OUR FRIEND. WE MAY HAVE 'LEGALLY' BEEN ALLOWED TO TAXI ACROSS THAT PORTION OF THE RAMP, BUT GND CTL SHOULD HAVE DISCOURAGED US FROM DOING SO. THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT ON THE GND AT THAT TIME -- IT'S NOT AS IF THEY WERE SO BUSY THAT THEY COULDN'T OFFER ADVICE. BTR SHOULD CHANGE ARPT PROCS AND NOT ALLOW COMMERCIAL AVIATION TO TAXI ON THAT PART OF THE RAMP. THEIR TAXI LINES DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE CLRNC FOR OUR ACFT AND THE AREA DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT LIGHT. A NOTE SHOULD BE PLACED ON CHARTS INDICATING THE PROPER TAXI RTE TO THE GATE WHEN LNDG 22R.

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.