Narrative:

I was captain of a saab sf-340, operating on the ramp area of the mem airport, taxiing toward my assigned parking spot at gate. I was following the directions of a ramp person and on the 'yellow line.' this is a very tight parking area (in the drawing below, my ship is #1 and the other parked aircraft is #2), and so I relied on the judgement of the ramp personnel, who had a better view of the area than I had from the cockpit. Under the direction of this ramp person, the anti-collision strobe light cover on the left wingtip of my ship contacted the position light cover on the right wingtip of the other aircraft. After the incident, I measured the parallel 'yellow lines' and found them to be about 4 ft closer together than the wingspan of our aircraft (saab sf-340) -- if both aircraft are exactly on the 'yellow line,' an overlap of about 2 ft exists. To prevent future incidents the company has ordered that, from now on, only the 'lead' ramp personnel can park aircraft. However, I feel other matters should be addressed: first, it is impossible to directly communicate with ramp personnel while in the aircraft. Our only method of communication is to call the company dispatch frequency, and have them advise the 'lead' ramp personnel of our concerns (only the 'lead' has a radio, and their frequencies are different from ours). I realize this would be difficult to change, but direct communication with the ramp personnel responsible for parking would be of great assistance. Next, the parking spots are poorly laid out and the 'yellow lines' are much too close. Repainting the ramp would obviously help, but the bottom line is there is not enough space to park the number of aircraft we utilize daily. Finally, I feel all ramp personnel should be better trained to assist arrival and departure aircraft. With the high turnover of ramp personnel our company experiences, it seems the new hires only receive the minimum training and have very little experience in parking aircraft. The captain is ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft, and this flight is no exception. However, there are times when we need help or guidance in maneuvering in tight sits. A poorly trained ramp person with little experience is sometimes worse than no help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT BEING MARSHALLED TO PARKING WAS WINGTIP HIT PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF A SAAB SF-340, OPERATING ON THE RAMP AREA OF THE MEM ARPT, TAXIING TOWARD MY ASSIGNED PARKING SPOT AT GATE. I WAS FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS OF A RAMP PERSON AND ON THE 'YELLOW LINE.' THIS IS A VERY TIGHT PARKING AREA (IN THE DRAWING BELOW, MY SHIP IS #1 AND THE OTHER PARKED ACFT IS #2), AND SO I RELIED ON THE JUDGEMENT OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL, WHO HAD A BETTER VIEW OF THE AREA THAN I HAD FROM THE COCKPIT. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THIS RAMP PERSON, THE ANTI-COLLISION STROBE LIGHT COVER ON THE L WINGTIP OF MY SHIP CONTACTED THE POS LIGHT COVER ON THE R WINGTIP OF THE OTHER ACFT. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I MEASURED THE PARALLEL 'YELLOW LINES' AND FOUND THEM TO BE ABOUT 4 FT CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THE WINGSPAN OF OUR ACFT (SAAB SF-340) -- IF BOTH ACFT ARE EXACTLY ON THE 'YELLOW LINE,' AN OVERLAP OF ABOUT 2 FT EXISTS. TO PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS THE COMPANY HAS ORDERED THAT, FROM NOW ON, ONLY THE 'LEAD' RAMP PERSONNEL CAN PARK ACFT. HOWEVER, I FEEL OTHER MATTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED: FIRST, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE WITH RAMP PERSONNEL WHILE IN THE ACFT. OUR ONLY METHOD OF COM IS TO CALL THE COMPANY DISPATCH FREQ, AND HAVE THEM ADVISE THE 'LEAD' RAMP PERSONNEL OF OUR CONCERNS (ONLY THE 'LEAD' HAS A RADIO, AND THEIR FREQUENCIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM OURS). I REALIZE THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CHANGE, BUT DIRECT COM WITH THE RAMP PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR PARKING WOULD BE OF GREAT ASSISTANCE. NEXT, THE PARKING SPOTS ARE POORLY LAID OUT AND THE 'YELLOW LINES' ARE MUCH TOO CLOSE. REPAINTING THE RAMP WOULD OBVIOUSLY HELP, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO PARK THE NUMBER OF ACFT WE UTILIZE DAILY. FINALLY, I FEEL ALL RAMP PERSONNEL SHOULD BE BETTER TRAINED TO ASSIST ARR AND DEP ACFT. WITH THE HIGH TURNOVER OF RAMP PERSONNEL OUR COMPANY EXPERIENCES, IT SEEMS THE NEW HIRES ONLY RECEIVE THE MINIMUM TRAINING AND HAVE VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN PARKING ACFT. THE CAPT IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT, AND THIS FLT IS NO EXCEPTION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE NEED HELP OR GUIDANCE IN MANEUVERING IN TIGHT SITS. A POORLY TRAINED RAMP PERSON WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE IS SOMETIMES WORSE THAN NO HELP.

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.