Narrative:

We were slowly taxiing on the centerline to the gate area while the so attempted to contact local company operations for a gate assignment. He had difficulty raising them until we were abeam gate X. We were then told to park at gate X after a 727 was pushed back from the same gate. The captain then completed a left turn of approximately 135-145 degrees on a recently added portion of the ramp. We taxied ahead on a westerly heading. Shortly after completing the turn, while taxiing slower than a normal walk, the aircraft was jolted and stopped. We determined that we had hit a light pole with the right wing impacting it approximately 4 ft from the tip. We shut down engines, contacted tower and company operations. Emergency crews responded. After determining that it was safe to tow the aircraft, we were towed to the gate where the passenger deplaned via the jetway. This was a newly expanded area of the ramp. It was not marked: ie, no edge markings or clearance guidelines. Neither the new area, nor the light poles, nor new gates were depicted on pilot charts. Pole was not marked or painted or stripped. It blended with poles in the backgnd and chain-link fences. Light poles were not set back. There is no ramp control of traffic in the north ramp area. There was no contact with company operations (their poor radio) until close to gate. At a minimum, poles adjacent to the ramp should be marked. But the best solution is to move them further away. Ramp edges should be marked. Ramp control of aircraft traffic in the north ramp area would be a definite plus for safety. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer has not been back to the scene of the crime so he does not know if there have been any changes in the yvr gate area. There were no guide lines, no wing walkers, and no taxi marshallers when the incident occurred. At a hearing the following day, the airport authorities were severely criticized by canadian national authorities for this situation. There had been several close calls with these new poles with no action by the airport. The 727 leading edge only was damaged. The reporter's air carrier has issued a warning to its pilots flying into yvr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WING LEADING EDGE HIT A LIGHT POLE.

Narrative: WE WERE SLOWLY TAXIING ON THE CTRLINE TO THE GATE AREA WHILE THE SO ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT LCL COMPANY OPS FOR A GATE ASSIGNMENT. HE HAD DIFFICULTY RAISING THEM UNTIL WE WERE ABEAM GATE X. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO PARK AT GATE X AFTER A 727 WAS PUSHED BACK FROM THE SAME GATE. THE CAPT THEN COMPLETED A L TURN OF APPROX 135-145 DEGS ON A RECENTLY ADDED PORTION OF THE RAMP. WE TAXIED AHEAD ON A WESTERLY HDG. SHORTLY AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN, WHILE TAXIING SLOWER THAN A NORMAL WALK, THE ACFT WAS JOLTED AND STOPPED. WE DETERMINED THAT WE HAD HIT A LIGHT POLE WITH THE R WING IMPACTING IT APPROX 4 FT FROM THE TIP. WE SHUT DOWN ENGS, CONTACTED TWR AND COMPANY OPS. EMER CREWS RESPONDED. AFTER DETERMINING THAT IT WAS SAFE TO TOW THE ACFT, WE WERE TOWED TO THE GATE WHERE THE PAX DEPLANED VIA THE JETWAY. THIS WAS A NEWLY EXPANDED AREA OF THE RAMP. IT WAS NOT MARKED: IE, NO EDGE MARKINGS OR CLRNC GUIDELINES. NEITHER THE NEW AREA, NOR THE LIGHT POLES, NOR NEW GATES WERE DEPICTED ON PLT CHARTS. POLE WAS NOT MARKED OR PAINTED OR STRIPPED. IT BLENDED WITH POLES IN THE BACKGND AND CHAIN-LINK FENCES. LIGHT POLES WERE NOT SET BACK. THERE IS NO RAMP CTL OF TFC IN THE N RAMP AREA. THERE WAS NO CONTACT WITH COMPANY OPS (THEIR POOR RADIO) UNTIL CLOSE TO GATE. AT A MINIMUM, POLES ADJACENT TO THE RAMP SHOULD BE MARKED. BUT THE BEST SOLUTION IS TO MOVE THEM FURTHER AWAY. RAMP EDGES SHOULD BE MARKED. RAMP CTL OF ACFT TFC IN THE N RAMP AREA WOULD BE A DEFINITE PLUS FOR SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO HAS NOT BEEN BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME SO HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY CHANGES IN THE YVR GATE AREA. THERE WERE NO GUIDE LINES, NO WING WALKERS, AND NO TAXI MARSHALLERS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. AT A HEARING THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE ARPT AUTHORITIES WERE SEVERELY CRITICIZED BY CANADIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITIES FOR THIS SIT. THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WITH THESE NEW POLES WITH NO ACTION BY THE ARPT. THE 727 LEADING EDGE ONLY WAS DAMAGED. THE RPTR'S ACR HAS ISSUED A WARNING TO ITS PLTS FLYING INTO YVR.

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.