Narrative:

While taxiing into gate in tpa, my aircraft, mdt X, made wing contact with another mdt Y from the same company, causing some minor damage. The parking spot that I was being directed towards was in front of mdt Y and closest to gate and the terminal jetway. There was only 1 marshall directing me and no one watching the wing. There was also an air carrier medium large transport on the other side of the gate area making the parking spot that I was trying to reach more difficult to do so. The marshall's directions were originally trying to direct me even closer to mdt Y on a straight line towards him (see diagram #1). I elected, using my best judgement, to remain right of where he was directing me (see diagram #2). Prior to approaching abeam the wing of mdt Y, the marshall aggressively began to signal a left turn towards mdt Y. This follows the normally used procedure because it is, in fact, necessary to turn left before turning right so that the aircraft alignment is appropriate with the final parking tee (see diagram #3). However, he was signaling me to turn earlier than I thought was appropriate. I checked the wing clearance one more time myself. In appeared close, but I thought that I would still clear. I then turned my attention back to the marshall, who was continuing to signal aggressively for me to turn left. I trusted that he could see the wing clearance better than I could, so I followed his directions. It was at this point that the 2 aircraft wings collided (see diagram #4). The impact felt was only a light bump and there were no injuries to crew or passenger. Note also, that the time of day was midday on a bright sunny day. This caused a bright glare on both aircraft wings making it more difficult to judge distance. Upon deplaning, I asked the marshall why he was turning me so soon. He stated that it was necessary for me to turn in order to be appropriately aligned with the parking tee. He also stated that he did not even see that the wings had collided. I was later told by another ramp agent that the marshall was guiding me in using lines on the pavement without clearing me visually. This same ramp agent told me to note the position of mdt Y and how it was parked. It was, in fact, parked at an angle to the parking tee and to the right. If the marshall was using lines on the pavement to guide me in without checking the position of the other aircraft visually, then it is obvious as to why the collision occurred. In conclusion, had the marshall double-checked the position of mdt Y and visually double-checked the wing clearance, and had there been a wing walker in the congested parking area, this incident would have not occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT BEING MARSHALLED TO PARKING HITS WINGTIP OF PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING INTO GATE IN TPA, MY ACFT, MDT X, MADE WING CONTACT WITH ANOTHER MDT Y FROM THE SAME COMPANY, CAUSING SOME MINOR DAMAGE. THE PARKING SPOT THAT I WAS BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS WAS IN FRONT OF MDT Y AND CLOSEST TO GATE AND THE TERMINAL JETWAY. THERE WAS ONLY 1 MARSHALL DIRECTING ME AND NO ONE WATCHING THE WING. THERE WAS ALSO AN ACR MLG ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GATE AREA MAKING THE PARKING SPOT THAT I WAS TRYING TO REACH MORE DIFFICULT TO DO SO. THE MARSHALL'S DIRECTIONS WERE ORIGINALLY TRYING TO DIRECT ME EVEN CLOSER TO MDT Y ON A STRAIGHT LINE TOWARDS HIM (SEE DIAGRAM #1). I ELECTED, USING MY BEST JUDGEMENT, TO REMAIN R OF WHERE HE WAS DIRECTING ME (SEE DIAGRAM #2). PRIOR TO APCHING ABEAM THE WING OF MDT Y, THE MARSHALL AGGRESSIVELY BEGAN TO SIGNAL A L TURN TOWARDS MDT Y. THIS FOLLOWS THE NORMALLY USED PROC BECAUSE IT IS, IN FACT, NECESSARY TO TURN L BEFORE TURNING R SO THAT THE ACFT ALIGNMENT IS APPROPRIATE WITH THE FINAL PARKING TEE (SEE DIAGRAM #3). HOWEVER, HE WAS SIGNALING ME TO TURN EARLIER THAN I THOUGHT WAS APPROPRIATE. I CHKED THE WING CLRNC ONE MORE TIME MYSELF. IN APPEARED CLOSE, BUT I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD STILL CLR. I THEN TURNED MY ATTN BACK TO THE MARSHALL, WHO WAS CONTINUING TO SIGNAL AGGRESSIVELY FOR ME TO TURN L. I TRUSTED THAT HE COULD SEE THE WING CLRNC BETTER THAN I COULD, SO I FOLLOWED HIS DIRECTIONS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE 2 ACFT WINGS COLLIDED (SEE DIAGRAM #4). THE IMPACT FELT WAS ONLY A LIGHT BUMP AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO CREW OR PAX. NOTE ALSO, THAT THE TIME OF DAY WAS MIDDAY ON A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY. THIS CAUSED A BRIGHT GLARE ON BOTH ACFT WINGS MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO JUDGE DISTANCE. UPON DEPLANING, I ASKED THE MARSHALL WHY HE WAS TURNING ME SO SOON. HE STATED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO TURN IN ORDER TO BE APPROPRIATELY ALIGNED WITH THE PARKING TEE. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE DID NOT EVEN SEE THAT THE WINGS HAD COLLIDED. I WAS LATER TOLD BY ANOTHER RAMP AGENT THAT THE MARSHALL WAS GUIDING ME IN USING LINES ON THE PAVEMENT WITHOUT CLRING ME VISUALLY. THIS SAME RAMP AGENT TOLD ME TO NOTE THE POS OF MDT Y AND HOW IT WAS PARKED. IT WAS, IN FACT, PARKED AT AN ANGLE TO THE PARKING TEE AND TO THE R. IF THE MARSHALL WAS USING LINES ON THE PAVEMENT TO GUIDE ME IN WITHOUT CHKING THE POS OF THE OTHER ACFT VISUALLY, THEN IT IS OBVIOUS AS TO WHY THE COLLISION OCCURRED. IN CONCLUSION, HAD THE MARSHALL DOUBLE-CHKED THE POS OF MDT Y AND VISUALLY DOUBLE-CHKED THE WING CLRNC, AND HAD THERE BEEN A WING WALKER IN THE CONGESTED PARKING AREA, THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE NOT OCCURRED.

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.