Narrative:

The incident occurred while we were parking at gate at lax. After cling runway 25R we were cleared to turn right on the outer left at 42 (taxiway) left on inner to parking. As flight engineer, I contacted ramp after landing to receive gate clearance. Gate X was reported open and we were cleared in. Upon arrival in the gate area, the area was visually cleared (a catering truck was the last vehicle to pass through the area). The captain and first officer double-checked to insure the correct lead-in line was going to be used, insured the green light was on, and confirmed wing walkers were in place. I visually confirmed the green light and saw the right wing walker and lead-in person and thought to myself that the lead-in line selected was correct. I had also noticed that the commuter planes were parked in their new spots very close to our gate area. After the turn was approximately half completed on to the lead-in line, I turned to prepare my flight engineer panel for arrival. The aircraft stopped approximately 20 ft from the gate. I turned back to the front to see the stop/go panel was not illuminated. Shortly thereafter, the light turned red. The first officer opened his window and determined that we had contacted the tail of a parked light transport with our right wingtip. After the panel lights were changed several times, a guideman climbed a stand in front of our plane and cleared us into the gate. There was no damage to our plane and the light transport suffered damage to its rudder and vertical stabilizer. I believe the problem arose from multiple sources. The light transport was improperly parked approximately 7 ft from its spot, causing its tail to protrude into our parking clear area. The guideman for the right wingtip did not correctly clear the wingtip and the very close proximity of parking spaces made it very difficult for the crew to determine if the light transport tail was too close, given the large distance to the wingtip, night, and high glare conditions, with numerous lights pointed at varying angles throughout the ramp area. The wing area of the widebody transport is not visible from the cockpit unless the windows are open and personnel strain to pull themselves outside to look. Therefore, after initial clearing, ground personnel are heavily relied on for safe clearance into tight parking areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB BEING GUIDED INTO GATE HAS WINGTIP HIT TAIL OF PARKED LTT.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE WE WERE PARKING AT GATE AT LAX. AFTER CLING RWY 25R WE WERE CLRED TO TURN R ON THE OUTER L AT 42 (TXWY) L ON INNER TO PARKING. AS FE, I CONTACTED RAMP AFTER LNDG TO RECEIVE GATE CLRNC. GATE X WAS RPTED OPEN AND WE WERE CLRED IN. UPON ARR IN THE GATE AREA, THE AREA WAS VISUALLY CLRED (A CATERING TRUCK WAS THE LAST VEHICLE TO PASS THROUGH THE AREA). THE CAPT AND FO DOUBLE-CHKED TO INSURE THE CORRECT LEAD-IN LINE WAS GOING TO BE USED, INSURED THE GREEN LIGHT WAS ON, AND CONFIRMED WING WALKERS WERE IN PLACE. I VISUALLY CONFIRMED THE GREEN LIGHT AND SAW THE R WING WALKER AND LEAD-IN PERSON AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT THE LEAD-IN LINE SELECTED WAS CORRECT. I HAD ALSO NOTICED THAT THE COMMUTER PLANES WERE PARKED IN THEIR NEW SPOTS VERY CLOSE TO OUR GATE AREA. AFTER THE TURN WAS APPROX HALF COMPLETED ON TO THE LEAD-IN LINE, I TURNED TO PREPARE MY FE PANEL FOR ARR. THE ACFT STOPPED APPROX 20 FT FROM THE GATE. I TURNED BACK TO THE FRONT TO SEE THE STOP/GO PANEL WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LIGHT TURNED RED. THE FO OPENED HIS WINDOW AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAD CONTACTED THE TAIL OF A PARKED LTT WITH OUR R WINGTIP. AFTER THE PANEL LIGHTS WERE CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES, A GUIDEMAN CLBED A STAND IN FRONT OF OUR PLANE AND CLRED US INTO THE GATE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO OUR PLANE AND THE LTT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO ITS RUDDER AND VERT STABILIZER. I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES. THE LTT WAS IMPROPERLY PARKED APPROX 7 FT FROM ITS SPOT, CAUSING ITS TAIL TO PROTRUDE INTO OUR PARKING CLR AREA. THE GUIDEMAN FOR THE R WINGTIP DID NOT CORRECTLY CLR THE WINGTIP AND THE VERY CLOSE PROX OF PARKING SPACES MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE CREW TO DETERMINE IF THE LTT TAIL WAS TOO CLOSE, GIVEN THE LARGE DISTANCE TO THE WINGTIP, NIGHT, AND HIGH GLARE CONDITIONS, WITH NUMEROUS LIGHTS POINTED AT VARYING ANGLES THROUGHOUT THE RAMP AREA. THE WING AREA OF THE WDB IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT UNLESS THE WINDOWS ARE OPEN AND PERSONNEL STRAIN TO PULL THEMSELVES OUTSIDE TO LOOK. THEREFORE, AFTER INITIAL CLRING, GND PERSONNEL ARE HEAVILY RELIED ON FOR SAFE CLRNC INTO TIGHT PARKING AREAS.

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.