Narrative:

We were just completing our flight from smf to ord. We had landed at ord and were taxiing to our gate via the 'north port.' as we entered the north port of our terminal, we stopped perpendicular to the lead-in line of the gate in order to allow an aircraft to taxi away from our gate. After the other aircraft departed the gate area, we continued to taxi and began a right turn towards the gate. The parking area appeared to be clear of any obstructions. However, I pointed out to the captain the presence of a catering truck off the left side of our aircraft. The captain acknowledged seeing the truck, and we proceeded to taxi via marshaller's command (company mechanic). We taxied slowly into the gate area on the yellow taxi line using the marshaller's guidance. At this point, the catering truck was no longer in my field of view. A few feet short of the normal parking point we felt a vibration and slight airplane shudder. The captain stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. A few seconds later, our marshaller left his position and walked out of view under the left side of our aircraft. The last command we received by the guideman, both prior to and after this vibration, was the pull-forward signal. We attempted to contact our company ramp controller in order to find out what was going on. The ramp controller was unaware of what had happened. A few mins later, the jetway pulled up and our passenger deplaned the aircraft normally. After completing our parking checklist, we exited the cockpit and discovered that a catering truck had contacted and damaged our left wingtip. My recommendations: provide better training to catering truck drivers and all ground personnel. Paint 'clrway' lines in this gate area. It's one gate of only a few which doesn't have the red lines on the ground. Use wingmen to assist guideman in parking aircraft, not just pushing aircraft back from the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ARRIVING B727 L WINGTIP WAS DAMAGED DURING ARR AT THE GATE. A CATERING TRUCK INFRINGED UPON THE ARR AREA. THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL GIVING THE COME-AHEAD SIGNAL WHEN THE CATERING TRUCK AND WINGTIP CONTACTED. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: WE WERE JUST COMPLETING OUR FLT FROM SMF TO ORD. WE HAD LANDED AT ORD AND WERE TAXIING TO OUR GATE VIA THE 'N PORT.' AS WE ENTERED THE N PORT OF OUR TERMINAL, WE STOPPED PERPENDICULAR TO THE LEAD-IN LINE OF THE GATE IN ORDER TO ALLOW AN ACFT TO TAXI AWAY FROM OUR GATE. AFTER THE OTHER ACFT DEPARTED THE GATE AREA, WE CONTINUED TO TAXI AND BEGAN A R TURN TOWARDS THE GATE. THE PARKING AREA APPEARED TO BE CLR OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS. HOWEVER, I POINTED OUT TO THE CAPT THE PRESENCE OF A CATERING TRUCK OFF THE L SIDE OF OUR ACFT. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED SEEING THE TRUCK, AND WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI VIA MARSHALLER'S COMMAND (COMPANY MECH). WE TAXIED SLOWLY INTO THE GATE AREA ON THE YELLOW TAXI LINE USING THE MARSHALLER'S GUIDANCE. AT THIS POINT, THE CATERING TRUCK WAS NO LONGER IN MY FIELD OF VIEW. A FEW FEET SHORT OF THE NORMAL PARKING POINT WE FELT A VIBRATION AND SLIGHT AIRPLANE SHUDDER. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, OUR MARSHALLER LEFT HIS POS AND WALKED OUT OF VIEW UNDER THE L SIDE OF OUR ACFT. THE LAST COMMAND WE RECEIVED BY THE GUIDEMAN, BOTH PRIOR TO AND AFTER THIS VIBRATION, WAS THE PULL-FORWARD SIGNAL. WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT OUR COMPANY RAMP CTLR IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE RAMP CTLR WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. A FEW MINS LATER, THE JETWAY PULLED UP AND OUR PAX DEPLANED THE ACFT NORMALLY. AFTER COMPLETING OUR PARKING CHKLIST, WE EXITED THE COCKPIT AND DISCOVERED THAT A CATERING TRUCK HAD CONTACTED AND DAMAGED OUR L WINGTIP. MY RECOMMENDATIONS: PROVIDE BETTER TRAINING TO CATERING TRUCK DRIVERS AND ALL GND PERSONNEL. PAINT 'CLRWAY' LINES IN THIS GATE AREA. IT'S ONE GATE OF ONLY A FEW WHICH DOESN'T HAVE THE RED LINES ON THE GND. USE WINGMEN TO ASSIST GUIDEMAN IN PARKING ACFT, NOT JUST PUSHING ACFT BACK FROM THE GATE.

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.