Narrative:

Crew was operating an large transport freighter on scheduled night express package flight. We were taxiing into our normal ramp but the parking plan had been modified to accommodate additional aircraft during peak period. We were marshalled into a spot that was 'nose out' from the building which required multiple left 90 degree turns. Marshaller gave last 2 90's in small increments and last small correction resulted in aircraft being too close to a line of cargo igloos stored on a roller deck on the edge of the ramp. Our right wingtip marshaller was directly under the wing but did not signal a stop to marshaller at nose of aircraft (only 1 captain could see) until after impact. First officer was watching out right window but cannot see wingtip on large transport. He started applying brakes when he saw green glow of right navigation light on fiberglass igloos. When I felt brakes being applied I immediately stopped aircraft at which point nose marshaller finally signaled a stop. Ground handling supervisor and ramp manager both accepted full responsibility for incident stating it was not crew's fault and that crew had been improperly marshalled into situation they (crew) could not observe from cockpit. Problem was caused by: temporary parking plan on congested ramp with no taxi or turn guidelines painted, cargo igloos stored on edge of active parking ramp, inattentive/inexperienced marshalling personnel, and inability of air crew to observe wingtips of large transport when taxiing. Damage to large transport was limited to small deformation of right wingtip fairing (1/8 - 1/4 inch deep X 6-8 inches landing) plus paint scrape for another 4-5 inches (no cracks and part did not require replacement). Cargo igloo had 3-4 inch scrape of no consequence on 1 side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT BEING MARSHALLED INTO PARKING HAS WINGTIP HIT CARGO IGLOO.

Narrative: CREW WAS OPERATING AN LGT FREIGHTER ON SCHEDULED NIGHT EXPRESS PACKAGE FLT. WE WERE TAXIING INTO OUR NORMAL RAMP BUT THE PARKING PLAN HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL ACFT DURING PEAK PERIOD. WE WERE MARSHALLED INTO A SPOT THAT WAS 'NOSE OUT' FROM THE BUILDING WHICH REQUIRED MULTIPLE L 90 DEG TURNS. MARSHALLER GAVE LAST 2 90'S IN SMALL INCREMENTS AND LAST SMALL CORRECTION RESULTED IN ACFT BEING TOO CLOSE TO A LINE OF CARGO IGLOOS STORED ON A ROLLER DECK ON THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. OUR R WINGTIP MARSHALLER WAS DIRECTLY UNDER THE WING BUT DID NOT SIGNAL A STOP TO MARSHALLER AT NOSE OF ACFT (ONLY 1 CAPT COULD SEE) UNTIL AFTER IMPACT. FO WAS WATCHING OUT R WINDOW BUT CANNOT SEE WINGTIP ON LGT. HE STARTED APPLYING BRAKES WHEN HE SAW GREEN GLOW OF R NAV LIGHT ON FIBERGLASS IGLOOS. WHEN I FELT BRAKES BEING APPLIED I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ACFT AT WHICH POINT NOSE MARSHALLER FINALLY SIGNALED A STOP. GND HANDLING SUPVR AND RAMP MGR BOTH ACCEPTED FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR INCIDENT STATING IT WAS NOT CREW'S FAULT AND THAT CREW HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY MARSHALLED INTO SIT THEY (CREW) COULD NOT OBSERVE FROM COCKPIT. PROB WAS CAUSED BY: TEMPORARY PARKING PLAN ON CONGESTED RAMP WITH NO TAXI OR TURN GUIDELINES PAINTED, CARGO IGLOOS STORED ON EDGE OF ACTIVE PARKING RAMP, INATTENTIVE/INEXPERIENCED MARSHALLING PERSONNEL, AND INABILITY OF AIR CREW TO OBSERVE WINGTIPS OF LGT WHEN TAXIING. DAMAGE TO LGT WAS LIMITED TO SMALL DEFORMATION OF R WINGTIP FAIRING (1/8 - 1/4 INCH DEEP X 6-8 INCHES LNDG) PLUS PAINT SCRAPE FOR ANOTHER 4-5 INCHES (NO CRACKS AND PART DID NOT REQUIRE REPLACEMENT). CARGO IGLOO HAD 3-4 INCH SCRAPE OF NO CONSEQUENCE ON 1 SIDE.

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.