Narrative:

We taxied clear of the runway and proceeded up to the gate. As I made the turn into the gate, I noticed the marshaller initiating my turn to the line somewhat earlier than I would have turned myself, to 'square' the fuselage with the gate. He then gave a 'slow taxi' signal. I instructed my copilot to secure the right engine as I applied the brakes. The marshaller then suddenly gave the 'stop' signal and I applied maximum braking. We stopped approximately 10 ft from the gate. As I didn't know why he had done this, I opened my clear-view window to see my left wingtip extremely close to a parked fuel truck. I noticed that the truck was parked outside the yellow reference lines. We remained stationary for at least 3 mins when I saw 2 company mechanics looking at the wingtip. I inquired if we had hit the truck using hand gestures, and both indicated a 'thumbs up.' I took this to mean that we had not. Meanwhile, the fueler had disconnected from the aircraft it had been fueling and moved forward. The marshaller then signaled me to proceed in, and I did. After parking and securing the left engine, we accomplished the parking checklist. I asked both my copilot and jump seat rider if they felt I was taxiing too fast, and was answered 'no' by both. I went out to the ramp to see what had happened and saw that the mechanics were now on a stand next to the wingtip. The mechanics told me that the wing had, in fact contacted the fuel truck. I asked to what extent the damage was, and they said that the skin on the outer wingtip had been scratched, and a static discharge wick had been broken. I verbally reported this to flight control and the chief pilot. The mechanics told me that the damage was minimal, and that we would be able to continue our trip pairing. The wingtip scratches were repaired per cdl 23-60-01 and the static wick deferred per dmi 4955, and we continued to sna and back without incident. The prevailing WX conditions at the time were -X 10 scattered 1 1/2 F 54/53 calm 30.10. I do not believe the WX had any effect in the outcome of this incident. I also believe that I was taxiing at a normal rate, and with the weight of the airplane (approximately 125000 pounds), I don't think I could have reached an excessive rate without pwring up. I had taxied in from yankee taxiway on idle thrust. I have since discussed this with chief pilot, and assured that I had not been found to be negligent, or at fault.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE BEING MARSHALLED INTO GATE, MD82 WINGTIP HITS FUEL TRUCK.

Narrative: WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND PROCEEDED UP TO THE GATE. AS I MADE THE TURN INTO THE GATE, I NOTICED THE MARSHALLER INITIATING MY TURN TO THE LINE SOMEWHAT EARLIER THAN I WOULD HAVE TURNED MYSELF, TO 'SQUARE' THE FUSELAGE WITH THE GATE. HE THEN GAVE A 'SLOW TAXI' SIGNAL. I INSTRUCTED MY COPLT TO SECURE THE R ENG AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE MARSHALLER THEN SUDDENLY GAVE THE 'STOP' SIGNAL AND I APPLIED MAX BRAKING. WE STOPPED APPROX 10 FT FROM THE GATE. AS I DIDN'T KNOW WHY HE HAD DONE THIS, I OPENED MY CLEAR-VIEW WINDOW TO SEE MY L WINGTIP EXTREMELY CLOSE TO A PARKED FUEL TRUCK. I NOTICED THAT THE TRUCK WAS PARKED OUTSIDE THE YELLOW REF LINES. WE REMAINED STATIONARY FOR AT LEAST 3 MINS WHEN I SAW 2 COMPANY MECHS LOOKING AT THE WINGTIP. I INQUIRED IF WE HAD HIT THE TRUCK USING HAND GESTURES, AND BOTH INDICATED A 'THUMBS UP.' I TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT WE HAD NOT. MEANWHILE, THE FUELER HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE ACFT IT HAD BEEN FUELING AND MOVED FORWARD. THE MARSHALLER THEN SIGNALED ME TO PROCEED IN, AND I DID. AFTER PARKING AND SECURING THE L ENG, WE ACCOMPLISHED THE PARKING CHKLIST. I ASKED BOTH MY COPLT AND JUMP SEAT RIDER IF THEY FELT I WAS TAXIING TOO FAST, AND WAS ANSWERED 'NO' BY BOTH. I WENT OUT TO THE RAMP TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND SAW THAT THE MECHS WERE NOW ON A STAND NEXT TO THE WINGTIP. THE MECHS TOLD ME THAT THE WING HAD, IN FACT CONTACTED THE FUEL TRUCK. I ASKED TO WHAT EXTENT THE DAMAGE WAS, AND THEY SAID THAT THE SKIN ON THE OUTER WINGTIP HAD BEEN SCRATCHED, AND A STATIC DISCHARGE WICK HAD BEEN BROKEN. I VERBALLY RPTED THIS TO FLT CTL AND THE CHIEF PLT. THE MECHS TOLD ME THAT THE DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL, AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP PAIRING. THE WINGTIP SCRATCHES WERE REPAIRED PER CDL 23-60-01 AND THE STATIC WICK DEFERRED PER DMI 4955, AND WE CONTINUED TO SNA AND BACK WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PREVAILING WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE -X 10 SCATTERED 1 1/2 F 54/53 CALM 30.10. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE WX HAD ANY EFFECT IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS INCIDENT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT I WAS TAXIING AT A NORMAL RATE, AND WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE (APPROX 125000 LBS), I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE REACHED AN EXCESSIVE RATE WITHOUT PWRING UP. I HAD TAXIED IN FROM YANKEE TXWY ON IDLE THRUST. I HAVE SINCE DISCUSSED THIS WITH CHIEF PLT, AND ASSURED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN FOUND TO BE NEGLIGENT, OR AT FAULT.

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.