Narrative:

This was an air carrier flight from atl to cle. Departed atl at XA38Z, 2 mins ahead of schedule. Flight proceeded uneventful to landing at cle, touching down at XC25Z. Following company procedures, on taxi in, we contacted company ramp control and were cleared to our assigned gate. As we approached the gate area, we observed all required ground personnel (marshaller, wing walker) were in place. This gate follows a j-line for taxi in, with close adjacent gates on both sides. We observed the right wing walker giving an all clear signal with his wands, and followed marshaller signal calling for left turn in gate. As marshaller transitioned to a straight ahead taxi signal, we felt an impact. 'Thud' -- my first impression was that we had run over something on the ground with the gear, but in fact, we had contacted the right wingtip with a catering truck. Only #1 engine was running, so we shut it down and advised passenger to remain seated. After checking for abnormal indications (fire, etc) and observing none, we had the aircraft towed to the gate the remaining distance to disembark passenger. No injuries were reported. On postflt evaluation and debrief of ground crew, it was determined that the catering truck was intruded into the safety zone. The area is marked by a white line. The ramp area was wet from earlier rain, and combined with the glare from ramp and terminal lights, this line is difficult to see from the cockpit. Also, having operated at this gate often, I have observed that there is always a large amount of ground equipment in the area making it very congested. Upon speaking to the wing walker, he said he realized the wing wasn't going to clear and gave a stop signal, but the marshaller had moved to a position where the nose of the aircraft was blocking his view of the wing man. The wing walker also said he noticed the truck was 'slightly' over the line, but for some reason did not ask it be moved. Immediate cause -- failure to strictly adhere to safety or 'clear' zone. I felt 2 other things might have helped: 1) use of 2 marshallers for taxi down j-line in very congested area may have allowed the proper relay of stop signal from wing walker. 2) also, if the safety zone lines were painted with yellow or white reflective paint, we may have been able to better ascertain that the truck was improperly parked, however, we are uncertain exactly when it came into the situation. Did we relax? Don't know, but remember, the flight isn't over until you're back in the crew room!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-100 HAS WINGTIP STRIKE DURING PARKING AT CLE.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN ACR FLT FROM ATL TO CLE. DEPARTED ATL AT XA38Z, 2 MINS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFUL TO LNDG AT CLE, TOUCHING DOWN AT XC25Z. FOLLOWING COMPANY PROCS, ON TAXI IN, WE CONTACTED COMPANY RAMP CTL AND WERE CLRED TO OUR ASSIGNED GATE. AS WE APCHED THE GATE AREA, WE OBSERVED ALL REQUIRED GND PERSONNEL (MARSHALLER, WING WALKER) WERE IN PLACE. THIS GATE FOLLOWS A J-LINE FOR TAXI IN, WITH CLOSE ADJACENT GATES ON BOTH SIDES. WE OBSERVED THE R WING WALKER GIVING AN ALL CLR SIGNAL WITH HIS WANDS, AND FOLLOWED MARSHALLER SIGNAL CALLING FOR L TURN IN GATE. AS MARSHALLER TRANSITIONED TO A STRAIGHT AHEAD TAXI SIGNAL, WE FELT AN IMPACT. 'THUD' -- MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THAT WE HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING ON THE GND WITH THE GEAR, BUT IN FACT, WE HAD CONTACTED THE R WINGTIP WITH A CATERING TRUCK. ONLY #1 ENG WAS RUNNING, SO WE SHUT IT DOWN AND ADVISED PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. AFTER CHKING FOR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS (FIRE, ETC) AND OBSERVING NONE, WE HAD THE ACFT TOWED TO THE GATE THE REMAINING DISTANCE TO DISEMBARK PAX. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. ON POSTFLT EVALUATION AND DEBRIEF OF GND CREW, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CATERING TRUCK WAS INTRUDED INTO THE SAFETY ZONE. THE AREA IS MARKED BY A WHITE LINE. THE RAMP AREA WAS WET FROM EARLIER RAIN, AND COMBINED WITH THE GLARE FROM RAMP AND TERMINAL LIGHTS, THIS LINE IS DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE COCKPIT. ALSO, HAVING OPERATED AT THIS GATE OFTEN, I HAVE OBSERVED THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A LARGE AMOUNT OF GND EQUIP IN THE AREA MAKING IT VERY CONGESTED. UPON SPEAKING TO THE WING WALKER, HE SAID HE REALIZED THE WING WASN'T GOING TO CLR AND GAVE A STOP SIGNAL, BUT THE MARSHALLER HAD MOVED TO A POS WHERE THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS BLOCKING HIS VIEW OF THE WING MAN. THE WING WALKER ALSO SAID HE NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS 'SLIGHTLY' OVER THE LINE, BUT FOR SOME REASON DID NOT ASK IT BE MOVED. IMMEDIATE CAUSE -- FAILURE TO STRICTLY ADHERE TO SAFETY OR 'CLR' ZONE. I FELT 2 OTHER THINGS MIGHT HAVE HELPED: 1) USE OF 2 MARSHALLERS FOR TAXI DOWN J-LINE IN VERY CONGESTED AREA MAY HAVE ALLOWED THE PROPER RELAY OF STOP SIGNAL FROM WING WALKER. 2) ALSO, IF THE SAFETY ZONE LINES WERE PAINTED WITH YELLOW OR WHITE REFLECTIVE PAINT, WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BETTER ASCERTAIN THAT THE TRUCK WAS IMPROPERLY PARKED, HOWEVER, WE ARE UNCERTAIN EXACTLY WHEN IT CAME INTO THE SIT. DID WE RELAX? DON'T KNOW, BUT REMEMBER, THE FLT ISN'T OVER UNTIL YOU'RE BACK IN THE CREW ROOM!

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.