727 taxiing out with marshaller has wingtip hit airstairs.

Attributes
ACN	313936
Time
Date	199508
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3950 flight time type : 510
ASRS Report	313936
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	314267
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This event happened while I was receiving my initial operating experience for my company while under the supervision of a company check airman. Prior to engine start, while I was off headset performing my predep duties in the cargo compartment, the captain asked the ground crewman/marshaller if we had adequate clearance on the airstairs which were pulled away off of our left side. The marshaller would watch them as he marshalled us out. This conversation was heard on interphone by the captain, first officer and so company check airman. The aircraft powered straight ahead a few ft followed by a right turn per the marshaller's signals. During taxi to the active runway, we were instructed by ground to return to the cargo ramp per our company's request. Upon shutdown at the ramp, we were informed that a mechanic had observed our aircraft's left wingtip as it struck the airstairs causing minor damage to the wingtip and none to the airstairs. We (the crew) were totally unaware that the aircraft had struck the airstairs. The marshaller admitted to us that the incident was his fault. Subsequently, the captain handled the situation per our company's operating manual and regulations. This was not an aircraft accident as described within the guidelines of the NTSB regulations. There was no substantial damage. The superficial damage was limited to dented skin at the left wingtip along with some broken glass from the wingtip light lens cover. This incident could have been prevented if there were obstruction lines painted on the ramp.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 727 TAXIING OUT WITH MARSHALLER HAS WINGTIP HIT AIRSTAIRS.

Narrative: THIS EVENT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS RECEIVING MY INITIAL OPERATING EXPERIENCE FOR MY COMPANY WHILE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. PRIOR TO ENG START, WHILE I WAS OFF HEADSET PERFORMING MY PREDEP DUTIES IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT, THE CAPT ASKED THE GND CREWMAN/MARSHALLER IF WE HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC ON THE AIRSTAIRS WHICH WERE PULLED AWAY OFF OF OUR L SIDE. THE MARSHALLER WOULD WATCH THEM AS HE MARSHALLED US OUT. THIS CONVERSATION WAS HEARD ON INTERPHONE BY THE CAPT, FO AND SO COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. THE ACFT POWERED STRAIGHT AHEAD A FEW FT FOLLOWED BY A R TURN PER THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. DURING TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY, WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY GND TO RETURN TO THE CARGO RAMP PER OUR COMPANY'S REQUEST. UPON SHUTDOWN AT THE RAMP, WE WERE INFORMED THAT A MECH HAD OBSERVED OUR ACFT'S L WINGTIP AS IT STRUCK THE AIRSTAIRS CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP AND NONE TO THE AIRSTAIRS. WE (THE CREW) WERE TOTALLY UNAWARE THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK THE AIRSTAIRS. THE MARSHALLER ADMITTED TO US THAT THE INCIDENT WAS HIS FAULT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CAPT HANDLED THE SIT PER OUR COMPANY'S OPERATING MANUAL AND REGS. THIS WAS NOT AN ACFT ACCIDENT AS DESCRIBED WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE NTSB REGS. THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO DENTED SKIN AT THE L WINGTIP ALONG WITH SOME BROKEN GLASS FROM THE WINGTIP LIGHT LENS COVER. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THERE WERE OBSTRUCTION LINES PAINTED ON THE RAMP.

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.