Narrative:

Basically, we were marshalled into a parked DC8. Our right wingtip struck the right wingtip of the other airplane. The ramp was unlit, and the taxiway was narrow. The parked aircraft was parked too far out on the ramp with its wing almost hanging over the taxiway. All communication was almost impossible as they did not speak english. Other contributing factors included no taxi ctrlines and nothing marked on the ramp to park aircraft in appropriate spot. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the resources at this airport are very poor. The airport lighting is turned on and off as the aircraft approach and depart. The lights were turned off, in fact, immediately after this flight crew had landed. This was the company's first flight into this remote coastal field. Before departure, the reporter was unable to communication with either the ground or local controller and finally was able to reach the approach controller for departure clearance. While inside the facility, the other crew members noticed the smell of alcohol surrounding a huddle of the airport employees while they were using a nearby facsimile machine. As the flight crew was taxiing out for departure, the wingtips had contacted each other and the marshaller continued to give the come ahead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE TAXIING OUT FROM MANTA, ECUADOR, THE FLC OF A DC8 WAS MARSHALLED TOO CLOSE TO ANOTHER DC8. THE R WINGTIP STRUCK THE WINGTIP OF THE OTHER ACFT WHICH WAS HANGING OVER ONTO THE TXWY. THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED GIVING THE COME AHEAD AFTER THE ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: BASICALLY, WE WERE MARSHALLED INTO A PARKED DC8. OUR R WINGTIP STRUCK THE R WINGTIP OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE. THE RAMP WAS UNLIT, AND THE TXWY WAS NARROW. THE PARKED ACFT WAS PARKED TOO FAR OUT ON THE RAMP WITH ITS WING ALMOST HANGING OVER THE TXWY. ALL COM WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE AS THEY DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED NO TAXI CTRLINES AND NOTHING MARKED ON THE RAMP TO PARK ACFT IN APPROPRIATE SPOT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RESOURCES AT THIS ARPT ARE VERY POOR. THE ARPT LIGHTING IS TURNED ON AND OFF AS THE ACFT APCH AND DEPART. THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF, IN FACT, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS FLC HAD LANDED. THIS WAS THE COMPANY'S FIRST FLT INTO THIS REMOTE COASTAL FIELD. BEFORE DEP, THE RPTR WAS UNABLE TO COM WITH EITHER THE GND OR LCL CTLR AND FINALLY WAS ABLE TO REACH THE APCH CTLR FOR DEP CLRNC. WHILE INSIDE THE FACILITY, THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS NOTICED THE SMELL OF ALCOHOL SURROUNDING A HUDDLE OF THE ARPT EMPLOYEES WHILE THEY WERE USING A NEARBY FACSIMILE MACHINE. AS THE FLC WAS TAXIING OUT FOR DEP, THE WINGTIPS HAD CONTACTED EACH OTHER AND THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO GIVE THE COME AHEAD.

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.