Taxiing traffic hits tug in gate area. Ramp operation aircraft parking procedure failure.

Attributes
ACN	280096
Time
Date	199408
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 1450
ASRS Report	280096
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Taxi collision with baggage tug, gate. Xyz, ord landed on runway 27R taxied off on runway 22R, G inner to north port. I was last in a line of taxiing aircraft. Upon reaching gate area all crew members cleared the parking area for ground traffic, all ground traffic was clear and it was safe to proceed into the gate area, the area was again cleared before and during the initial turn into the gate area. As I was aligning with the lights the first officer was now looking for the stop lights. The mechanic gave me an emergency stop followed by cut engines. A tug had collided with the nose cowl of #3 engine. The collision occurred inside the aircraft maneuvering area and 6-8 ft outside the ground equipment parking lines. We were told the tug was parked with the engine running while the operator went in for a smoke. We never saw the tug on our approach. We stopped 111 ft 6 inches short of the stop position. Gate areas need to be enlarged -- they've had this problem before at this airport. Ground equipment drivers need to be more aware of what's going on around them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC HITS TUG IN GATE AREA. RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC FAILURE.

Narrative: TAXI COLLISION WITH BAGGAGE TUG, GATE. XYZ, ORD LANDED ON RWY 27R TAXIED OFF ON RWY 22R, G INNER TO N PORT. I WAS LAST IN A LINE OF TAXIING ACFT. UPON REACHING GATE AREA ALL CREW MEMBERS CLRED THE PARKING AREA FOR GND TFC, ALL GND TFC WAS CLR AND IT WAS SAFE TO PROCEED INTO THE GATE AREA, THE AREA WAS AGAIN CLRED BEFORE AND DURING THE INITIAL TURN INTO THE GATE AREA. AS I WAS ALIGNING WITH THE LIGHTS THE FO WAS NOW LOOKING FOR THE STOP LIGHTS. THE MECH GAVE ME AN EMER STOP FOLLOWED BY CUT ENGS. A TUG HAD COLLIDED WITH THE NOSE COWL OF #3 ENG. THE COLLISION OCCURRED INSIDE THE ACFT MANEUVERING AREA AND 6-8 FT OUTSIDE THE GND EQUIP PARKING LINES. WE WERE TOLD THE TUG WAS PARKED WITH THE ENG RUNNING WHILE THE OPERATOR WENT IN FOR A SMOKE. WE NEVER SAW THE TUG ON OUR APCH. WE STOPPED 111 FT 6 INCHES SHORT OF THE STOP POS. GATE AREAS NEED TO BE ENLARGED -- THEY'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AT THIS ARPT. GND EQUIP DRIVERS NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM.

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.