Narrative:

Contributing factors: XA20 am dark, ramp unlighted. Human factors: crew had been up all night. Mechanic/marshaller was up all night. I think crew was lulled into false sense of security (when entering gate and marshaller directing us in as normal). Suggestions to manager of maintenance of lax: put supplemental lighting in unlit areas. Better train marshalling crews. Don't park anything inside foul lines. Approximately XA18 local we entered the ramp area. We entered with a right turn then an immediate left turn into spot. The lighting condition on the ramp, particularly spot X was predawn (dark to gray). Spot Y had no supplemental lighting. Turning left into the gate nothing discernable appeared inside the foul lines, except for the lighted wands of the maintenance in this tower. Completing the left turn on centerline to spot Z, I asked the first officer if his side was clear. His answer was 'yes.' we followed the maintenance commands to taxi forward on centerline. Approximately 18 inches from the trapeze, the plane stopped. The maintenance signalled forward again, I started applying power when the maintenance signalled quick stop and left the tower. We blocked in at XB20 local, conducted normal engine shutdown and termination checklist. After deplaning, I went looking for the maintenance to find out why we were stopped in such an unusual manner. Seeing a group of maintenance by engine #3, I went over. This is when I found out that the #3 engine had contacted a tug.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB CARGOLINER STRIKES TUG WHILE PARKING.

Narrative: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: XA20 AM DARK, RAMP UNLIGHTED. HUMAN FACTORS: CREW HAD BEEN UP ALL NIGHT. MECH/MARSHALLER WAS UP ALL NIGHT. I THINK CREW WAS LULLED INTO FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY (WHEN ENTERING GATE AND MARSHALLER DIRECTING US IN AS NORMAL). SUGGESTIONS TO MGR OF MAINT OF LAX: PUT SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING IN UNLIT AREAS. BETTER TRAIN MARSHALLING CREWS. DON'T PARK ANYTHING INSIDE FOUL LINES. APPROX XA18 LCL WE ENTERED THE RAMP AREA. WE ENTERED WITH A R TURN THEN AN IMMEDIATE L TURN INTO SPOT. THE LIGHTING CONDITION ON THE RAMP, PARTICULARLY SPOT X WAS PREDAWN (DARK TO GRAY). SPOT Y HAD NO SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING. TURNING L INTO THE GATE NOTHING DISCERNABLE APPEARED INSIDE THE FOUL LINES, EXCEPT FOR THE LIGHTED WANDS OF THE MAINT IN THIS TWR. COMPLETING THE L TURN ON CTRLINE TO SPOT Z, I ASKED THE FO IF HIS SIDE WAS CLR. HIS ANSWER WAS 'YES.' WE FOLLOWED THE MAINT COMMANDS TO TAXI FORWARD ON CTRLINE. APPROX 18 INCHES FROM THE TRAPEZE, THE PLANE STOPPED. THE MAINT SIGNALLED FORWARD AGAIN, I STARTED APPLYING PWR WHEN THE MAINT SIGNALLED QUICK STOP AND LEFT THE TWR. WE BLOCKED IN AT XB20 LCL, CONDUCTED NORMAL ENG SHUTDOWN AND TERMINATION CHKLIST. AFTER DEPLANING, I WENT LOOKING FOR THE MAINT TO FIND OUT WHY WE WERE STOPPED IN SUCH AN UNUSUAL MANNER. SEEING A GROUP OF MAINT BY ENG #3, I WENT OVER. THIS IS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE #3 ENG HAD CONTACTED A TUG.

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.