Narrative:

Taxiing in at ord, approaching gate for parking, it appeared that a service truck and baggage belt loader would be very close to right wing. First officer stated that the equipment was 'behind the line.' I looked and saw a black and white line on the ramp which the equipment was indeed parked outside of. I looked back out front to the accupark guidance lights and continued to taxi in for parking. The right wingtip struck a cabin service truck when the aircraft was about 10 ft short of the stop point. The baggage belt loader, with driver sitting in the seat watching our aircraft approach the gate, was parked next to the cabin service truck, also just outside the line. The aircraft's wingtip passed by the belt loader first, and the driver gave no indication of any problem. The 'line' we were looking at turned out to be a painted metal expansion seam. Recommend standardized ramp symbols and ground workers trained to give stop signal if they see a problem. Pilots obviously should stop if they see a ground collision hazard, but unfortunately we thought we resolved the problem by what we saw painted on the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING INTO GATE, SVC TRUCK WAS PARKED INCORRECTLY, BUT MARKINGS ON PAVEMENT APPEARED TO SHOW THE TRUCK OUTSIDE OF THE LINE. A DRIVER ON BAGGAGE LOADER WAS WATCHING THE TAXI IN, BUT DIDN'T INDICATE ANY PROB. ACFT WINGTIP HIT THE SVC TRUCK.

Narrative: TAXIING IN AT ORD, APCHING GATE FOR PARKING, IT APPEARED THAT A SVC TRUCK AND BAGGAGE BELT LOADER WOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO R WING. FO STATED THAT THE EQUIP WAS 'BEHIND THE LINE.' I LOOKED AND SAW A BLACK AND WHITE LINE ON THE RAMP WHICH THE EQUIP WAS INDEED PARKED OUTSIDE OF. I LOOKED BACK OUT FRONT TO THE ACCUPARK GUIDANCE LIGHTS AND CONTINUED TO TAXI IN FOR PARKING. THE R WINGTIP STRUCK A CABIN SVC TRUCK WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 10 FT SHORT OF THE STOP POINT. THE BAGGAGE BELT LOADER, WITH DRIVER SITTING IN THE SEAT WATCHING OUR ACFT APCH THE GATE, WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE CABIN SVC TRUCK, ALSO JUST OUTSIDE THE LINE. THE ACFT'S WINGTIP PASSED BY THE BELT LOADER FIRST, AND THE DRIVER GAVE NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB. THE 'LINE' WE WERE LOOKING AT TURNED OUT TO BE A PAINTED METAL EXPANSION SEAM. RECOMMEND STANDARDIZED RAMP SYMBOLS AND GND WORKERS TRAINED TO GIVE STOP SIGNAL IF THEY SEE A PROB. PLTS OBVIOUSLY SHOULD STOP IF THEY SEE A GND COLLISION HAZARD, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE THOUGHT WE RESOLVED THE PROB BY WHAT WE SAW PAINTED ON THE RAMP.

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.