Narrative:

Arriving at gate in dca, aircraft was being directed at night towards jetway. I was following lead-in line to gate under control of ground taxi director. An aircraft was parked at an adjacent gate and was being fueled. I observed at least a complement of 4 ground handlers including 1 man who stationed himself at the rear of the fuel truck. I realized I would have to closely follow handling instructions as I proceeded to gate. Truck spotter on left side gave me a continuous thumbs-up clear signal, as did left side wing walker. I verbalized to crew left side was clear and copilot responded right side walker was signaling clear. I then shifted my attention forward and followed the directions of the marshaller. At no time did he signal a stop. The left wingtip contacted the ladder on rear of fuel truck and I felt a thud. I immediately stopped the aircraft and assessed situation. We thought possibly a wheel of aircraft had hit a chock as we were still getting a forward signal. The taxi director subsequently told me he could not see truck spotter's signals. I felt we were always clear of obstructions based on all the input I was receiving. I feel that night aircraft movement in close quarters is something not be taken lightly, but I am not sure what I could have done differently based on the ground input I was receiving.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC BEING MARSHALED INTO THE GATE, AT NIGHT, BY WING WALKERS AND A TAXI DIRECTOR HAS THE L WINGTIP STRIKE A FUEL TRUCK.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT GATE IN DCA, ACFT WAS BEING DIRECTED AT NIGHT TOWARDS JETWAY. I WAS FOLLOWING LEAD-IN LINE TO GATE UNDER CTL OF GND TAXI DIRECTOR. AN ACFT WAS PARKED AT AN ADJACENT GATE AND WAS BEING FUELED. I OBSERVED AT LEAST A COMPLEMENT OF 4 GND HANDLERS INCLUDING 1 MAN WHO STATIONED HIMSELF AT THE REAR OF THE FUEL TRUCK. I REALIZED I WOULD HAVE TO CLOSELY FOLLOW HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS AS I PROCEEDED TO GATE. TRUCK SPOTTER ON L SIDE GAVE ME A CONTINUOUS THUMBS-UP CLR SIGNAL, AS DID L SIDE WING WALKER. I VERBALIZED TO CREW L SIDE WAS CLR AND COPLT RESPONDED R SIDE WALKER WAS SIGNALING CLR. I THEN SHIFTED MY ATTN FORWARD AND FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE MARSHALLER. AT NO TIME DID HE SIGNAL A STOP. THE L WINGTIP CONTACTED THE LADDER ON REAR OF FUEL TRUCK AND I FELT A THUD. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT AND ASSESSED SIT. WE THOUGHT POSSIBLY A WHEEL OF ACFT HAD HIT A CHOCK AS WE WERE STILL GETTING A FORWARD SIGNAL. THE TAXI DIRECTOR SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD ME HE COULD NOT SEE TRUCK SPOTTER'S SIGNALS. I FELT WE WERE ALWAYS CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS BASED ON ALL THE INPUT I WAS RECEIVING. I FEEL THAT NIGHT ACFT MOVEMENT IN CLOSE QUARTERS IS SOMETHING NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT I AM NOT SURE WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THE GND INPUT I WAS RECEIVING.

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.