Narrative:

We landed on runway 31 in lga. We were cleared onto 'spot X' which is just west of the jetway on gate Y. As we taxied down the center of the alley, we spotted our marshaller who was standing on the alley centerline on our spot. To taxi onto spot X requires a slight left turn as a right turn off the alley centerline does not allow enough room to maneuver onto the tee. We made the left turn and began to make the right turn under direction of the marshaller. We had about 20 degrees of turn left when the left wingtip struck the jetway on gate Z. At no time did the marshaller give us a stop signal. At this point we shut down the aircraft and deplaned the passenger (who I do not think even knew what had happened). The only damage was to the fiberglass wingtip. No structural damage occurred. This is at least the 4TH incident of this type at lga. The union air safety committee has addressed this to the company several times but the company has not been willing to do anything about it. The parking at lga is simply too tight to maneuver this size aircraft safely in. We have to contend with the close proximity of the jetways which are not always in the same place every day (they are only used for overnight parking for the jet aircraft) because the ramp personnel will leave them partially out on the ramp rather than stowed fully back. While we have marshallers, we do not always have wingwalkers. This would help alleviate a substantial amount of the problem. The bottom line is we need to use different parking position that will allow bigger aircraft to taxi in and out safely. The ground personnel need to be better trained. Until this is done it is just a matter of time before another incident occurs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT STRUCK THE WINGTIP ON THE JETWAY DURING PARKING.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 31 IN LGA. WE WERE CLRED ONTO 'SPOT X' WHICH IS JUST W OF THE JETWAY ON GATE Y. AS WE TAXIED DOWN THE CTR OF THE ALLEY, WE SPOTTED OUR MARSHALLER WHO WAS STANDING ON THE ALLEY CTRLINE ON OUR SPOT. TO TAXI ONTO SPOT X REQUIRES A SLIGHT L TURN AS A R TURN OFF THE ALLEY CTRLINE DOES NOT ALLOW ENOUGH ROOM TO MANEUVER ONTO THE TEE. WE MADE THE L TURN AND BEGAN TO MAKE THE R TURN UNDER DIRECTION OF THE MARSHALLER. WE HAD ABOUT 20 DEGS OF TURN LEFT WHEN THE L WINGTIP STRUCK THE JETWAY ON GATE Z. AT NO TIME DID THE MARSHALLER GIVE US A STOP SIGNAL. AT THIS POINT WE SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND DEPLANED THE PAX (WHO I DO NOT THINK EVEN KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED). THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE FIBERGLASS WINGTIP. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED. THIS IS AT LEAST THE 4TH INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE AT LGA. THE UNION AIR SAFETY COMMITTEE HAS ADDRESSED THIS TO THE COMPANY SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE COMPANY HAS NOT BEEN WILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE PARKING AT LGA IS SIMPLY TOO TIGHT TO MANEUVER THIS SIZE ACFT SAFELY IN. WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE CLOSE PROX OF THE JETWAYS WHICH ARE NOT ALWAYS IN THE SAME PLACE EVERY DAY (THEY ARE ONLY USED FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING FOR THE JET ACFT) BECAUSE THE RAMP PERSONNEL WILL LEAVE THEM PARTIALLY OUT ON THE RAMP RATHER THAN STOWED FULLY BACK. WHILE WE HAVE MARSHALLERS, WE DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE WINGWALKERS. THIS WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE PROB. THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED TO USE DIFFERENT PARKING POS THAT WILL ALLOW BIGGER ACFT TO TAXI IN AND OUT SAFELY. THE GND PERSONNEL NEED TO BE BETTER TRAINED. UNTIL THIS IS DONE IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ANOTHER INCIDENT OCCURS.

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.