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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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At sju, pr, the wingtip of a B727 struck a catering truck while the crew was following the marshaller's and wing walker's guidance to the gate. The captain states that the crew is unable to view the swept wing's clearance from the cockpit and cites contributing factors of poor lighting, jetways that cause visual obstruction, and lack of marshaller and wing walker coordination.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 341070 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sju |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 3900 |
| ASRS Report | 341070 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
After landing at sju, pr, runway 8, we cleared the runway by intersection U then proceeded down on taxiway south to taxiway north where we turned left. We followed the taxiway line to the south ramp to our gate. We observed the area and proceeded to follow the marshaller's and wing walker's signaled commands to the jetway. I would like to point out that the area has several blind spots due to position of the lighting and jetways. This is why the marshaller relies on wing walkers for obstruction clrncs. Due to the swept wing design of the B727, the wings are not visible from the cockpit so we must rely on the marshaller for guidance. We were established on the yellow line to our gate when, approximately 8-10 ft prior to the stop mark we felt a slight lurch. I turned to the first officer and asked him if everything was fine on his side. He replied back to me 'all clear over here on the right.' I decided not to move the aircraft until I determined what was wrong. After climbing out the window I realized that we struck a catering truck, later to learn that slat #1 was damaged. After deciding to stop the airplane, the marshaller was still signaling to come forward. After securing the airplane I had a conversation with the port authority/authorized and the lineman. In the conversation the wing walker indicated that he signaled stop to the marshaller, the marshaller admitted he was not able to see the wing walker's signal, and still continued the toward signal because he thought we had enough room to pass by. I had the so take pictures of all pertinent angles of the aircraft and truck. I advised the ramp agent and maintenance not to move anything until the auths arrived. I made a report with the port authority/authorized and the local police and later I had an interview with the FAA (puerto rico FSDO).
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AT SJU, PR, THE WINGTIP OF A B727 STRUCK A CATERING TRUCK WHILE THE CREW WAS FOLLOWING THE MARSHALLER'S AND WING WALKER'S GUIDANCE TO THE GATE. THE CAPT STATES THAT THE CREW IS UNABLE TO VIEW THE SWEPT WING'S CLRNC FROM THE COCKPIT AND CITES CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF POOR LIGHTING, JETWAYS THAT CAUSE VISUAL OBSTRUCTION, AND LACK OF MARSHALLER AND WING WALKER COORD.
Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT SJU, PR, RWY 8, WE CLRED THE RWY BY INTXN U THEN PROCEEDED DOWN ON TXWY S TO TXWY N WHERE WE TURNED L. WE FOLLOWED THE TXWY LINE TO THE S RAMP TO OUR GATE. WE OBSERVED THE AREA AND PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE MARSHALLER'S AND WING WALKER'S SIGNALED COMMANDS TO THE JETWAY. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE AREA HAS SEVERAL BLIND SPOTS DUE TO POS OF THE LIGHTING AND JETWAYS. THIS IS WHY THE MARSHALLER RELIES ON WING WALKERS FOR OBSTRUCTION CLRNCS. DUE TO THE SWEPT WING DESIGN OF THE B727, THE WINGS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT SO WE MUST RELY ON THE MARSHALLER FOR GUIDANCE. WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE YELLOW LINE TO OUR GATE WHEN, APPROX 8-10 FT PRIOR TO THE STOP MARK WE FELT A SLIGHT LURCH. I TURNED TO THE FO AND ASKED HIM IF EVERYTHING WAS FINE ON HIS SIDE. HE REPLIED BACK TO ME 'ALL CLR OVER HERE ON THE R.' I DECIDED NOT TO MOVE THE ACFT UNTIL I DETERMINED WHAT WAS WRONG. AFTER CLBING OUT THE WINDOW I REALIZED THAT WE STRUCK A CATERING TRUCK, LATER TO LEARN THAT SLAT #1 WAS DAMAGED. AFTER DECIDING TO STOP THE AIRPLANE, THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL SIGNALING TO COME FORWARD. AFTER SECURING THE AIRPLANE I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE PORT AUTH AND THE LINEMAN. IN THE CONVERSATION THE WING WALKER INDICATED THAT HE SIGNALED STOP TO THE MARSHALLER, THE MARSHALLER ADMITTED HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE WING WALKER'S SIGNAL, AND STILL CONTINUED THE TOWARD SIGNAL BECAUSE HE THOUGHT WE HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO PASS BY. I HAD THE SO TAKE PICTURES OF ALL PERTINENT ANGLES OF THE ACFT AND TRUCK. I ADVISED THE RAMP AGENT AND MAINT NOT TO MOVE ANYTHING UNTIL THE AUTHS ARRIVED. I MADE A RPT WITH THE PORT AUTH AND THE LCL POLICE AND LATER I HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FAA (PUERTO RICO FSDO).
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.