Narrative:

As we approached gate ab at terminal, a marshaller and 2 wing walkers were positioned for parking operation. When aligned with the gate the marshallers motioned that the right wing was clear of the aircraft on gate AC and to continue taxi. The aircraft appeared close but all 3 marshallers signaled that it was clear and we were to continue taxi. Approaching the aircraft on gate AC it looked close so brakes were applied and the aircraft was stopped. The marshaller and wing walkers all continued to give instructions to continue taxi after the aircraft was stopped and indicated the wingtip was clear even though we were later informed that the right wingtip had struck the upper rudder of the aircraft parked on gate AC. Supplemental information from acn 330367: a marshaller with wands was up on a stand directly ahead, with a good view of the whole aircraft. Taxiing cautiously, I followed the marshaller's signals. Due to angle-in parking for wide bodies at spot ab, clearance on the left was good. The captain was keeping a constant watch out a right hand window. With about 50 ft to go, just after the flight engineer had made a ground speed callout '2 KTS' (from the INS), the captain applied full braking to stop the aircraft, saying, 'it's too close on this side.' we, and several witnesses, watched the marshaller and right side wing walker continue to wave us forward after the aircraft had stopped. It was fortunate that the captain saw the marshaller/wing walker's error and stopped the airplane, or the vertical stabilizer of a DC9 parked to our right on spot AC would have been severely damaged or sheared off. As it was, the leading edge of our wing near the wingtip was embedded about 10 inches into the rudder of the DC9. (Minor B747 damage.) cause/prevention: the person in the airport board office (which assigns parking spots at dfw) said that the DC9 should not still have been on gate AC, and that air carrier 'should have' known that a B747 would not fit. She said there was question of the training of the ground crews, since the board did not have control or documentation of this, as air carrier does not work for the board (and, that a mechanic with the DC9 had run over to try to tell/signal the marshaller wing walker to stop, but 'was ignored'). The chart notes that 4 spots by the terminals are closed to B747 size aircraft, but there is no note concerning the spot ab/AC situation. The airport board and air carrier need to develop procedures to prevent recurrence. A chart note? Cautionary signage at spot ab?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WINGTIP STRIKE DURING PARKING AT GATE.

Narrative: AS WE APCHED GATE AB AT TERMINAL, A MARSHALLER AND 2 WING WALKERS WERE POSITIONED FOR PARKING OP. WHEN ALIGNED WITH THE GATE THE MARSHALLERS MOTIONED THAT THE R WING WAS CLR OF THE ACFT ON GATE AC AND TO CONTINUE TAXI. THE ACFT APPEARED CLOSE BUT ALL 3 MARSHALLERS SIGNALED THAT IT WAS CLR AND WE WERE TO CONTINUE TAXI. APCHING THE ACFT ON GATE AC IT LOOKED CLOSE SO BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE ACFT WAS STOPPED. THE MARSHALLER AND WING WALKERS ALL CONTINUED TO GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE TAXI AFTER THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AND INDICATED THE WINGTIP WAS CLR EVEN THOUGH WE WERE LATER INFORMED THAT THE R WINGTIP HAD STRUCK THE UPPER RUDDER OF THE ACFT PARKED ON GATE AC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 330367: A MARSHALLER WITH WANDS WAS UP ON A STAND DIRECTLY AHEAD, WITH A GOOD VIEW OF THE WHOLE ACFT. TAXIING CAUTIOUSLY, I FOLLOWED THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. DUE TO ANGLE-IN PARKING FOR WIDE BODIES AT SPOT AB, CLRNC ON THE L WAS GOOD. THE CAPT WAS KEEPING A CONSTANT WATCH OUT A R HAND WINDOW. WITH ABOUT 50 FT TO GO, JUST AFTER THE FE HAD MADE A GND SPD CALLOUT '2 KTS' (FROM THE INS), THE CAPT APPLIED FULL BRAKING TO STOP THE ACFT, SAYING, 'IT'S TOO CLOSE ON THIS SIDE.' WE, AND SEVERAL WITNESSES, WATCHED THE MARSHALLER AND R SIDE WING WALKER CONTINUE TO WAVE US FORWARD AFTER THE ACFT HAD STOPPED. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE CAPT SAW THE MARSHALLER/WING WALKER'S ERROR AND STOPPED THE AIRPLANE, OR THE VERT STABILIZER OF A DC9 PARKED TO OUR R ON SPOT AC WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED OR SHEARED OFF. AS IT WAS, THE LEADING EDGE OF OUR WING NEAR THE WINGTIP WAS EMBEDDED ABOUT 10 INCHES INTO THE RUDDER OF THE DC9. (MINOR B747 DAMAGE.) CAUSE/PREVENTION: THE PERSON IN THE ARPT BOARD OFFICE (WHICH ASSIGNS PARKING SPOTS AT DFW) SAID THAT THE DC9 SHOULD NOT STILL HAVE BEEN ON GATE AC, AND THAT ACR 'SHOULD HAVE' KNOWN THAT A B747 WOULD NOT FIT. SHE SAID THERE WAS QUESTION OF THE TRAINING OF THE GND CREWS, SINCE THE BOARD DID NOT HAVE CTL OR DOCUMENTATION OF THIS, AS ACR DOES NOT WORK FOR THE BOARD (AND, THAT A MECH WITH THE DC9 HAD RUN OVER TO TRY TO TELL/SIGNAL THE MARSHALLER WING WALKER TO STOP, BUT 'WAS IGNORED'). THE CHART NOTES THAT 4 SPOTS BY THE TERMINALS ARE CLOSED TO B747 SIZE ACFT, BUT THERE IS NO NOTE CONCERNING THE SPOT AB/AC SIT. THE ARPT BOARD AND ACR NEED TO DEVELOP PROCS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE. A CHART NOTE? CAUTIONARY SIGNAGE AT SPOT AB?

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.