Taxi in damage to truck parked at gate area.

Attributes
ACN	284481
Time
Date	199410
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	284481
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 5600
ASRS Report	284917
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Scheduled flight xx cvg msp on sep/xx/94 arrived msp at RR20. Md-88 pushing back from our gate. We waited. Ramp asked us to taxi in and we said it was too close. MD88 taxied out and ramp people returned to gate to taxi us in. We proceeded. Taxiing on #1 engine with a fairly tight turn in. Taxi director's directions were good and I lined up on centerline. First officer mentioned that a truck looked close. I scanned it but felt it would be ok. I was focussing on directions now. Normal stop signal and we stopped. Waited for chocks and external power signal. Director now gave me a strange signal later to be determined as pullback. Then the first officer from outbound crew came into cockpit and said we had hit a truck with #1 engine. I shut #1 down and went out to investigate. #1 engine had crushed right front fender of truck, about 3 inches. Pictures were taken. Truck was parked well within safety paint. Thorough inspection by maintenance determined no damage to the aircraft. There was no impact felt on flight deck at all. Taxi speed was very slow and normal. Right wing walker later said he was yelling but could not be heard over engine noise. The next morning I was distressed to see another truck parked in same safety zone with a 727 at gate. Recommended keep these areas clear, and perhaps paint them with more distinction like gate next door. (White/red/white.) paint is cheap. Also recommended better training for part time help directing and working around aircraft. Also my own vigilance will increase and first officer will be more assertive if he sees or fears something I don't. Supplemental information from acn 284917: corrective action: park the truck far away from the gates, mark the aircraft parking area to designate no park zones for ground equipment. Wing walkers are ineffective because the person operating the stop light or wands is focusing on the nose wheel stop spot and can't see wing walker in a timely manner. Audible shouts not possible because of set noise. Only safe bet is to keep parking area clear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXI IN DAMAGE TO TRUCK PARKED AT GATE AREA.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT XX CVG MSP ON SEP/XX/94 ARRIVED MSP AT RR20. MD-88 PUSHING BACK FROM OUR GATE. WE WAITED. RAMP ASKED US TO TAXI IN AND WE SAID IT WAS TOO CLOSE. MD88 TAXIED OUT AND RAMP PEOPLE RETURNED TO GATE TO TAXI US IN. WE PROCEEDED. TAXIING ON #1 ENG WITH A FAIRLY TIGHT TURN IN. TAXI DIRECTOR'S DIRECTIONS WERE GOOD AND I LINED UP ON CTRLINE. FO MENTIONED THAT A TRUCK LOOKED CLOSE. I SCANNED IT BUT FELT IT WOULD BE OK. I WAS FOCUSSING ON DIRECTIONS NOW. NORMAL STOP SIGNAL AND WE STOPPED. WAITED FOR CHOCKS AND EXTERNAL PWR SIGNAL. DIRECTOR NOW GAVE ME A STRANGE SIGNAL LATER TO BE DETERMINED AS PULLBACK. THEN THE FO FROM OUTBOUND CREW CAME INTO COCKPIT AND SAID WE HAD HIT A TRUCK WITH #1 ENG. I SHUT #1 DOWN AND WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE. #1 ENG HAD CRUSHED R FRONT FENDER OF TRUCK, ABOUT 3 INCHES. PICTURES WERE TAKEN. TRUCK WAS PARKED WELL WITHIN SAFETY PAINT. THOROUGH INSPECTION BY MAINT DETERMINED NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THERE WAS NO IMPACT FELT ON FLT DECK AT ALL. TAXI SPD WAS VERY SLOW AND NORMAL. R WING WALKER LATER SAID HE WAS YELLING BUT COULD NOT BE HEARD OVER ENG NOISE. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS DISTRESSED TO SEE ANOTHER TRUCK PARKED IN SAME SAFETY ZONE WITH A 727 AT GATE. RECOMMENDED KEEP THESE AREAS CLR, AND PERHAPS PAINT THEM WITH MORE DISTINCTION LIKE GATE NEXT DOOR. (WHITE/RED/WHITE.) PAINT IS CHEAP. ALSO RECOMMENDED BETTER TRAINING FOR PART TIME HELP DIRECTING AND WORKING AROUND ACFT. ALSO MY OWN VIGILANCE WILL INCREASE AND FO WILL BE MORE ASSERTIVE IF HE SEES OR FEARS SOMETHING I DON'T. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 284917: CORRECTIVE ACTION: PARK THE TRUCK FAR AWAY FROM THE GATES, MARK THE ACFT PARKING AREA TO DESIGNATE NO PARK ZONES FOR GND EQUIP. WING WALKERS ARE INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE THE PERSON OPERATING THE STOP LIGHT OR WANDS IS FOCUSING ON THE NOSE WHEEL STOP SPOT AND CAN'T SEE WING WALKER IN A TIMELY MANNER. AUDIBLE SHOUTS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF SET NOISE. ONLY SAFE BET IS TO KEEP PARKING AREA CLR.

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.