Narrative:

I followed the marshaller's instructions and began a turn to the right but as I progressed in the turn it became apparent to me that our left wing would pass very close to the brasilia. I stopped and requested wing walkers. 3 ramp personnel came over and just stood there. I requested clearance and one finally held his thumb up signifying that I would clear the other aircraft. Meanwhile, the marshaller kept instructing me to continue the turn. I already had the tiller wheel as far right as it would go and still wasn't satisfied that I had enough wingtip clearance. Because of the angle between the pilot seat and wing, it is difficult to judge distance so you are dependent on ramp personnel to give you proper clearance. I motioned to the wing walker to show me, by holding his hands out, how much clearance I had. He signaled 1 1/2 ft, so I continued. He closed his hands to 1 ft but never moved his hands closer together. The marshaller was still trying to get me to continue. At this point, the captain of the brasilia came out and stood on his airstairs, obviously concerned about his aircraft. I had no other option at this point but to either shut down the engines and have the aircraft towed back (we are not allowed to back up using the engines) or continue the turn. I elected to continue the turn since we still had '1 ft' clearance and were almost clear of the wing laterally. It wasn't until my wing began to pass over the top of the brasilia's wing that I realized that we did not have the 1 ft clearance the wing walker said we had. I passed over the wing by 3-6 inches and continued on. I was very uncomfortable about what had occurred, and called operations back in-flight to ask about it. They assured me that they 'always' turn us out to the right and asked if I'd had a wing walker. I explained events as they occurred, both to our station manager and to the manager, and expressed my hope that the other captain understood the situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LTT CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF SUFFICIENT WING CLRNC WHEN TAXIING FROM PARKING.

Narrative: I FOLLOWED THE MARSHALLER'S INSTRUCTIONS AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE R BUT AS I PROGRESSED IN THE TURN IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT OUR L WING WOULD PASS VERY CLOSE TO THE BRASILIA. I STOPPED AND REQUESTED WING WALKERS. 3 RAMP PERSONNEL CAME OVER AND JUST STOOD THERE. I REQUESTED CLRNC AND ONE FINALLY HELD HIS THUMB UP SIGNIFYING THAT I WOULD CLR THE OTHER ACFT. MEANWHILE, THE MARSHALLER KEPT INSTRUCTING ME TO CONTINUE THE TURN. I ALREADY HAD THE TILLER WHEEL AS FAR R AS IT WOULD GO AND STILL WASN'T SATISFIED THAT I HAD ENOUGH WINGTIP CLRNC. BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE BTWN THE PLT SEAT AND WING, IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE DISTANCE SO YOU ARE DEPENDENT ON RAMP PERSONNEL TO GIVE YOU PROPER CLRNC. I MOTIONED TO THE WING WALKER TO SHOW ME, BY HOLDING HIS HANDS OUT, HOW MUCH CLRNC I HAD. HE SIGNALED 1 1/2 FT, SO I CONTINUED. HE CLOSED HIS HANDS TO 1 FT BUT NEVER MOVED HIS HANDS CLOSER TOGETHER. THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL TRYING TO GET ME TO CONTINUE. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT OF THE BRASILIA CAME OUT AND STOOD ON HIS AIRSTAIRS, OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS ACFT. I HAD NO OTHER OPTION AT THIS POINT BUT TO EITHER SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND HAVE THE ACFT TOWED BACK (WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BACK UP USING THE ENGS) OR CONTINUE THE TURN. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TURN SINCE WE STILL HAD '1 FT' CLRNC AND WERE ALMOST CLR OF THE WING LATERALLY. IT WASN'T UNTIL MY WING BEGAN TO PASS OVER THE TOP OF THE BRASILIA'S WING THAT I REALIZED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE 1 FT CLRNC THE WING WALKER SAID WE HAD. I PASSED OVER THE WING BY 3-6 INCHES AND CONTINUED ON. I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT HAD OCCURRED, AND CALLED OPS BACK INFLT TO ASK ABOUT IT. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY 'ALWAYS' TURN US OUT TO THE R AND ASKED IF I'D HAD A WING WALKER. I EXPLAINED EVENTS AS THEY OCCURRED, BOTH TO OUR STATION MGR AND TO THE MGR, AND EXPRESSED MY HOPE THAT THE OTHER CAPT UNDERSTOOD THE SIT.

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.