Large transport freighter strikes ground equipment with wingtip while parking on the ramp.

Attributes
ACN	344969
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tys
State Reference	TN
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	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6580 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	344969
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The ramp area in which we park has a 'handstand' located on it that is used to unload an aircraft that arrives after we do. In order for us to get to the parking spot we must make a hard 90 degree left turn followed by a 45 degree right turn. As we began to near the area the captain asked me to watch the wingtip out the L-3 window. From the cockpit you can just see the wingtip and I told the captain that I thought we would clear. The wing walker on that side was also giving an all clear signal. As we began the right turn, the wing walker left my view and apparently at this time she gave the quick stop signal. The wingtip then contacted a piece of ground equipment. The captain was following the lead marshaller who never gave a stop signal. The marshaller later admitted that he lost sight of our wing walker. This could have easily been prevented by not positioning some of the equipment until after our flight arrives and that is what the station manager has ordered to be done in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FREIGHTER STRIKES GND EQUIP WITH WINGTIP WHILE PARKING ON THE RAMP.

Narrative: THE RAMP AREA IN WHICH WE PARK HAS A 'HANDSTAND' LOCATED ON IT THAT IS USED TO UNLOAD AN ACFT THAT ARRIVES AFTER WE DO. IN ORDER FOR US TO GET TO THE PARKING SPOT WE MUST MAKE A HARD 90 DEG L TURN FOLLOWED BY A 45 DEG R TURN. AS WE BEGAN TO NEAR THE AREA THE CAPT ASKED ME TO WATCH THE WINGTIP OUT THE L-3 WINDOW. FROM THE COCKPIT YOU CAN JUST SEE THE WINGTIP AND I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I THOUGHT WE WOULD CLR. THE WING WALKER ON THAT SIDE WAS ALSO GIVING AN ALL CLR SIGNAL. AS WE BEGAN THE R TURN, THE WING WALKER LEFT MY VIEW AND APPARENTLY AT THIS TIME SHE GAVE THE QUICK STOP SIGNAL. THE WINGTIP THEN CONTACTED A PIECE OF GND EQUIP. THE CAPT WAS FOLLOWING THE LEAD MARSHALLER WHO NEVER GAVE A STOP SIGNAL. THE MARSHALLER LATER ADMITTED THAT HE LOST SIGHT OF OUR WING WALKER. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN PREVENTED BY NOT POSITIONING SOME OF THE EQUIP UNTIL AFTER OUR FLT ARRIVES AND THAT IS WHAT THE STATION MGR HAS ORDERED TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE.

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.