Narrative:

After landing, we taxied off the runway onto the ramp area, I was being directed to face the aircraft to the north by line service personnel. He was directing me to park between a king air 90 and the aviation terminal building. Upon approach to the space I thought that it looked like it was going to be close. I was watching the line service personnel, who was directing me to continue my turn to the right, as well as my right wing tip because of the closeness of the other aircraft. As I looked back to check the left wing clearance to the building, I saw I was about to hit the corner of a support post for the corner building, I estimate the forward speed of the aircraft to be no more than 3 mi per hour. I applied brake and full left rudder to attempt to stop the aircraft as well as arrest the turn, but had insufficient time and distance, and impacted the corner of the support post with the left wingtip. After checking the space that I was being directed into, it was determined that had the aircraft been perfectly centered in the space there would have been approximately 16 inches on either side of the wingtips between the building and the other aircraft. I feel to put an aircraft into a space this small when there is no reason for it, is unwarranted. Also to have only one ground handling personnel, who knowingly is putting an aircraft into this small a space is irresponsible on both the handlers part, as well as management's, for allowing it. There were no markings on the ramp that would indicate that we were going to be this close to the building. I don't understand why there were no building set back marks or fire lane marks either. It would seem only reasonable assumption, that a certain amount of space be allowed between a building and any parked aircraft would be needed to allow fire fighting equipment in, should either catch on fire. Anytime that 3 people's attention is watching one point to check for clearance, it is too close. After talking to other pilots who use this ramp it appears that this is a common complaint at this particular airport, that they park aircraft unreasonably close together.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT HITS WINGTIP AGAINST BUILDING POST DURING RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG, WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE RAMP AREA, I WAS BEING DIRECTED TO FACE THE ACFT TO THE N BY LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL. HE WAS DIRECTING ME TO PARK BTWN A KING AIR 90 AND THE AVIATION TERMINAL BUILDING. UPON APCH TO THE SPACE I THOUGHT THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE. I WAS WATCHING THE LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL, WHO WAS DIRECTING ME TO CONTINUE MY TURN TO THE R, AS WELL AS MY RIGHT WING TIP BECAUSE OF THE CLOSENESS OF THE OTHER ACFT. AS I LOOKED BACK TO CHK THE L WING CLRNC TO THE BUILDING, I SAW I WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE CORNER OF A SUPPORT POST FOR THE CORNER BUILDING, I ESTIMATE THE FORWARD SPD OF THE ACFT TO BE NO MORE THAN 3 MI PER HR. I APPLIED BRAKE AND FULL L RUDDER TO ATTEMPT TO STOP THE ACFT AS WELL AS ARREST THE TURN, BUT HAD INSUFFICIENT TIME AND DISTANCE, AND IMPACTED THE CORNER OF THE SUPPORT POST WITH THE L WINGTIP. AFTER CHKING THE SPACE THAT I WAS BEING DIRECTED INTO, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HAD THE ACFT BEEN PERFECTLY CTRED IN THE SPACE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROX 16 INCHES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WINGTIPS BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE OTHER ACFT. I FEEL TO PUT AN ACFT INTO A SPACE THIS SMALL WHEN THERE IS NO REASON FOR IT, IS UNWARRANTED. ALSO TO HAVE ONLY ONE GND HANDLING PERSONNEL, WHO KNOWINGLY IS PUTTING AN ACFT INTO THIS SMALL A SPACE IS IRRESPONSIBLE ON BOTH THE HANDLERS PART, AS WELL AS MGMNT'S, FOR ALLOWING IT. THERE WERE NO MARKINGS ON THE RAMP THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE THIS CLOSE TO THE BUILDING. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WERE NO BUILDING SET BACK MARKS OR FIRE LANE MARKS EITHER. IT WOULD SEEM ONLY REASONABLE ASSUMPTION, THAT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPACE BE ALLOWED BTWN A BUILDING AND ANY PARKED ACFT WOULD BE NEEDED TO ALLOW FIRE FIGHTING EQUIP IN, SHOULD EITHER CATCH ON FIRE. ANYTIME THAT 3 PEOPLE'S ATTN IS WATCHING ONE POINT TO CHK FOR CLRNC, IT IS TOO CLOSE. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER PLTS WHO USE THIS RAMP IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AT THIS PARTICULAR ARPT, THAT THEY PARK ACFT UNREASONABLY CLOSE TOGETHER.

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.