Narrative:

During push back on nonctled ramp (actually company controled ramp), aircraft was almost at stop point and still under tug power. Fire station behind aircraft was called out because of an aircraft on final that had 'lost one of its generators.' left wing walker signalled tug driver to stop because with fire trucks speeding by on both sides of us and between us and aircraft parked at the gates it looked 'too close.' one of the fire trucks struck our left wing tip, destroying it. We were unaware of what happened as it felt like the tug 'jerking.' it seems that at lga the fire trucks have right-of-way over everything and don't necessarily coordinate their movements to ground control. There needs to be some coordination, such as ground control warning, 'attention all aircraft, fire station is emptying, exercise extreme caution.' as it was, we were stopped and they still hit us! What went on next was very disappointing. The port authority/authorized cops and firemen then came on our aircraft (it was now at the gate) before our passenger could get off and wanted our names and licenses and 'registration,' but refused to give us their names. They also wanted to give us alcohol and drug tests, but when our company asked for the same for the fire engine driver (a port authority/authorized police officer). They refused. Many of the port authority/authorized people on our aircraft did not have idents visible and when we asked for an identify and their names, they refused! All of that notwithstanding we need some coherent policy and control of ground movement vehicles at all airports. Part of the problem is that fire personnel are 'spring loaded' to get there 'right now' and they go too fast for some callouts (i.e., a generator inoperative is different than an accident). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft with the inoperative generator had not declared an emergency. The tower overreacted. The damage was confined to the wingtip and the aircraft is back in service. It was dusk, not completely dark and the aircraft could be seen. The surface was dry with patches of snow and visibility was good. The wingtip navigation lights were lit, they are hotwired to the battery and are on whenever the battery switch is on. At one point, the port authority/authorized personnel tried to place the blame on the wingwalker.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FIRE TRUCK ON THE WAY TO A CALL COLLIDED WITH PARKED ACFT DESTROYING ITS WINGITP.

Narrative: DURING PUSH BACK ON NONCTLED RAMP (ACTUALLY COMPANY CTLED RAMP), ACFT WAS ALMOST AT STOP POINT AND STILL UNDER TUG PWR. FIRE STATION BEHIND ACFT WAS CALLED OUT BECAUSE OF AN ACFT ON FINAL THAT HAD 'LOST ONE OF ITS GENERATORS.' L WING WALKER SIGNALLED TUG DRIVER TO STOP BECAUSE WITH FIRE TRUCKS SPDING BY ON BOTH SIDES OF US AND BTWN US AND ACFT PARKED AT THE GATES IT LOOKED 'TOO CLOSE.' ONE OF THE FIRE TRUCKS STRUCK OUR L WING TIP, DESTROYING IT. WE WERE UNAWARE OF WHAT HAPPENED AS IT FELT LIKE THE TUG 'JERKING.' IT SEEMS THAT AT LGA THE FIRE TRUCKS HAVE RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER EVERYTHING AND DON'T NECESSARILY COORDINATE THEIR MOVEMENTS TO GND CTL. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME COORD, SUCH AS GND CTL WARNING, 'ATTN ALL ACFT, FIRE STATION IS EMPTYING, EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION.' AS IT WAS, WE WERE STOPPED AND THEY STILL HIT US! WHAT WENT ON NEXT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING. THE PORT AUTH COPS AND FIREMEN THEN CAME ON OUR ACFT (IT WAS NOW AT THE GATE) BEFORE OUR PAX COULD GET OFF AND WANTED OUR NAMES AND LICENSES AND 'REGISTRATION,' BUT REFUSED TO GIVE US THEIR NAMES. THEY ALSO WANTED TO GIVE US ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTS, BUT WHEN OUR COMPANY ASKED FOR THE SAME FOR THE FIRE ENG DRIVER (A PORT AUTH POLICE OFFICER). THEY REFUSED. MANY OF THE PORT AUTH PEOPLE ON OUR ACFT DID NOT HAVE IDENTS VISIBLE AND WHEN WE ASKED FOR AN IDENT AND THEIR NAMES, THEY REFUSED! ALL OF THAT NOTWITHSTANDING WE NEED SOME COHERENT POLICY AND CTL OF GND MOVEMENT VEHICLES AT ALL ARPTS. PART OF THE PROB IS THAT FIRE PERSONNEL ARE 'SPRING LOADED' TO GET THERE 'RIGHT NOW' AND THEY GO TOO FAST FOR SOME CALLOUTS (I.E., A GENERATOR INOP IS DIFFERENT THAN AN ACCIDENT). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WITH THE INOP GENERATOR HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER. THE TWR OVERREACTED. THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE WINGTIP AND THE ACFT IS BACK IN SVC. IT WAS DUSK, NOT COMPLETELY DARK AND THE ACFT COULD BE SEEN. THE SURFACE WAS DRY WITH PATCHES OF SNOW AND VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. THE WINGTIP NAV LIGHTS WERE LIT, THEY ARE HOTWIRED TO THE BATTERY AND ARE ON WHENEVER THE BATTERY SWITCH IS ON. AT ONE POINT, THE PORT AUTH PERSONNEL TRIED TO PLACE THE BLAME ON THE WINGWALKER.

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.