Narrative:

Captain noted a light provisioning stairway on the left side while taxiing in centered on lead-in line. The stand was outside the painted zone boundary. The marshaler directed the aircraft to the stopping point and the brakes set and engines shut down. After checklist completed and cockpit secured, it was discovered that the left wingtip had come in contact with the provisioning stand. Maintenance was called, the tip inspected and no damage was noted. Aircraft cleared for further service. After the aircraft was parked the cockpit crew observed that the wingtip extended past the safety line boundary, even though the aircraft was on the lead-in centerline. It appears that even though the equipment was outside the safety zone, it was still inside the wingtip radius. The airport authority/authorized will be contacted to survey these markings. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the provisioning stand had been used at the adjacent gate just prior to reporter's aircraft arrival. Apparently, the ground crew had hastily moved it for other aircraft to push back, and, not realizing the imminent arrival of another aircraft, had positioned it incorrectly. Contributing to the wrong positioning was the improper painting of the lines marking the safety zone. The aircraft had no damage -- just a slight paint scrape from the stand. Reporter's air carrier was following up on corrective action. They had a ground survey crew from the air carrier headquarters examine the marking and they had a conversation with the airport authority/authorized. The airport authority/authorized said that, though they were aware of the problem, they had not corrected it because of increased airport security and didn't want to bring in contract personnel during heightened security. Air carrier continues to monitor corrective action which may have already been corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WINGTIP SCRAPED PROVISIONING STAND TAXING INTO GATE.

Narrative: CAPT NOTED A LIGHT PROVISIONING STAIRWAY ON THE L SIDE WHILE TAXIING IN CTRED ON LEAD-IN LINE. THE STAND WAS OUTSIDE THE PAINTED ZONE BOUNDARY. THE MARSHALER DIRECTED THE ACFT TO THE STOPPING POINT AND THE BRAKES SET AND ENGS SHUT DOWN. AFTER CHKLIST COMPLETED AND COCKPIT SECURED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE L WINGTIP HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE PROVISIONING STAND. MAINT WAS CALLED, THE TIP INSPECTED AND NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED. ACFT CLRED FOR FURTHER SVC. AFTER THE ACFT WAS PARKED THE COCKPIT CREW OBSERVED THAT THE WINGTIP EXTENDED PAST THE SAFETY LINE BOUNDARY, EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT WAS ON THE LEAD-IN CTRLINE. IT APPEARS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE EQUIP WAS OUTSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE, IT WAS STILL INSIDE THE WINGTIP RADIUS. THE ARPT AUTH WILL BE CONTACTED TO SURVEY THESE MARKINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PROVISIONING STAND HAD BEEN USED AT THE ADJACENT GATE JUST PRIOR TO RPTR'S ACFT ARR. APPARENTLY, THE GND CREW HAD HASTILY MOVED IT FOR OTHER ACFT TO PUSH BACK, AND, NOT REALIZING THE IMMINENT ARR OF ANOTHER ACFT, HAD POSITIONED IT INCORRECTLY. CONTRIBUTING TO THE WRONG POSITIONING WAS THE IMPROPER PAINTING OF THE LINES MARKING THE SAFETY ZONE. THE ACFT HAD NO DAMAGE -- JUST A SLIGHT PAINT SCRAPE FROM THE STAND. RPTR'S ACR WAS FOLLOWING UP ON CORRECTIVE ACTION. THEY HAD A GND SURVEY CREW FROM THE ACR HEADQUARTERS EXAMINE THE MARKING AND THEY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE ARPT AUTH. THE ARPT AUTH SAID THAT, THOUGH THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROB, THEY HAD NOT CORRECTED IT BECAUSE OF INCREASED ARPT SECURITY AND DIDN'T WANT TO BRING IN CONTRACT PERSONNEL DURING HEIGHTENED SECURITY. ACR CONTINUES TO MONITOR CORRECTIVE ACTION WHICH MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN CORRECTED.

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.