Narrative:

On may/xx/97 at XA35Z I taxied a B737 into gate at den without a guideman. There was no equipment in the gate area. The aircraft was clear of all personnel and equipment at all times. I was wrong for taxiing into the gate without a guideman. The flight operations manual section states that a guideman is required. I was trying to help our company, the gate agent, our maintenance men and our passenger. I also was trying to clear the ramp area so outgoing aircraft could taxi. The following facts are submitted for consideration: 1) when I turned into the gate toward the run-in line, the area was totally clear of any equipment or personnel. There was no guideman, but one was requested. We waited for a couple of mins and taxied very slowly toward the gate to help clear the ramp area. We stopped about 1/2 way down the run- in line. We saw the gate agent in the jetway waving us forward. We continued to taxi slowly toward the gate and stopped on the spot with a signal from the gate agent. I knew we were on the spot. 2) maintenance personnel walked out of their shack, but would not direct or chock our aircraft. After a few mins, we called to have the aircraft chocked. The gate agent told us that she could not move the jetway to the aircraft until it was chocked. A few mins later the aircraft was chocked and the jetway was moved up to the aircraft to deplane passenger. 3) the gate agent told us that a maintenance man told her that he was going to write her up for directing our aircraft into the gate. She was crying. I told her that we would take responsibility for taxiing. 4) the same maintenance man called us on the interphone and asked for the captain's name. I gave him my name. A different maintenance man met me as I came off the aircraft and stated that we should have had a guideman for taxiing into the gate, but that there was no problem today because they had a man out sick. The maintenance man that called us on the interphone and told the gate agent that he was going to write her up came to me. He stated that he was going to write up the gate agent. I asked him not to write up the gate agent and stated that I was responsible for the event. I also stated that we were just trying to help all parties and that the aircraft was totally clear at all times. The maintenance man asked me for the logbook and for my name. I gave him both. He did not give me his name. There were no harsh words or feelings that I know about during any of the conversations that took place. I left to obtain a new release and meet my new first officer for the next flight. I made a mistake taxiing into the gate without a guideman, but I did not think he was going to write it up. Action taken: the flight office informed me that I was wrong and that I was being given a multi-leg line check on my next identify. I agree that I was wrong and I will not do it again. I think the multi-leg line check is not consistent with what other pilots were awarded after doing the same thing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT TAXIING INTO GATE. RPTR CAPT TAXIED WITHOUT QUALIFIED GUIDE PERSON TO PARKING. MAINT RPTED INCIDENT TO ACR AND RPTR WAS GIVEN A LINE CHK.

Narrative: ON MAY/XX/97 AT XA35Z I TAXIED A B737 INTO GATE AT DEN WITHOUT A GUIDEMAN. THERE WAS NO EQUIP IN THE GATE AREA. THE ACFT WAS CLR OF ALL PERSONNEL AND EQUIP AT ALL TIMES. I WAS WRONG FOR TAXIING INTO THE GATE WITHOUT A GUIDEMAN. THE FLT OPS MANUAL SECTION STATES THAT A GUIDEMAN IS REQUIRED. I WAS TRYING TO HELP OUR COMPANY, THE GATE AGENT, OUR MAINT MEN AND OUR PAX. I ALSO WAS TRYING TO CLR THE RAMP AREA SO OUTGOING ACFT COULD TAXI. THE FOLLOWING FACTS ARE SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION: 1) WHEN I TURNED INTO THE GATE TOWARD THE RUN-IN LINE, THE AREA WAS TOTALLY CLR OF ANY EQUIP OR PERSONNEL. THERE WAS NO GUIDEMAN, BUT ONE WAS REQUESTED. WE WAITED FOR A COUPLE OF MINS AND TAXIED VERY SLOWLY TOWARD THE GATE TO HELP CLR THE RAMP AREA. WE STOPPED ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RUN- IN LINE. WE SAW THE GATE AGENT IN THE JETWAY WAVING US FORWARD. WE CONTINUED TO TAXI SLOWLY TOWARD THE GATE AND STOPPED ON THE SPOT WITH A SIGNAL FROM THE GATE AGENT. I KNEW WE WERE ON THE SPOT. 2) MAINT PERSONNEL WALKED OUT OF THEIR SHACK, BUT WOULD NOT DIRECT OR CHOCK OUR ACFT. AFTER A FEW MINS, WE CALLED TO HAVE THE ACFT CHOCKED. THE GATE AGENT TOLD US THAT SHE COULD NOT MOVE THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS CHOCKED. A FEW MINS LATER THE ACFT WAS CHOCKED AND THE JETWAY WAS MOVED UP TO THE ACFT TO DEPLANE PAX. 3) THE GATE AGENT TOLD US THAT A MAINT MAN TOLD HER THAT HE WAS GOING TO WRITE HER UP FOR DIRECTING OUR ACFT INTO THE GATE. SHE WAS CRYING. I TOLD HER THAT WE WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TAXIING. 4) THE SAME MAINT MAN CALLED US ON THE INTERPHONE AND ASKED FOR THE CAPT'S NAME. I GAVE HIM MY NAME. A DIFFERENT MAINT MAN MET ME AS I CAME OFF THE ACFT AND STATED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A GUIDEMAN FOR TAXIING INTO THE GATE, BUT THAT THERE WAS NO PROB TODAY BECAUSE THEY HAD A MAN OUT SICK. THE MAINT MAN THAT CALLED US ON THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD THE GATE AGENT THAT HE WAS GOING TO WRITE HER UP CAME TO ME. HE STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO WRITE UP THE GATE AGENT. I ASKED HIM NOT TO WRITE UP THE GATE AGENT AND STATED THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVENT. I ALSO STATED THAT WE WERE JUST TRYING TO HELP ALL PARTIES AND THAT THE ACFT WAS TOTALLY CLR AT ALL TIMES. THE MAINT MAN ASKED ME FOR THE LOGBOOK AND FOR MY NAME. I GAVE HIM BOTH. HE DID NOT GIVE ME HIS NAME. THERE WERE NO HARSH WORDS OR FEELINGS THAT I KNOW ABOUT DURING ANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE. I LEFT TO OBTAIN A NEW RELEASE AND MEET MY NEW FO FOR THE NEXT FLT. I MADE A MISTAKE TAXIING INTO THE GATE WITHOUT A GUIDEMAN, BUT I DID NOT THINK HE WAS GOING TO WRITE IT UP. ACTION TAKEN: THE FLT OFFICE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS WRONG AND THAT I WAS BEING GIVEN A MULTI-LEG LINE CHK ON MY NEXT IDENT. I AGREE THAT I WAS WRONG AND I WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN. I THINK THE MULTI-LEG LINE CHK IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OTHER PLTS WERE AWARDED AFTER DOING THE SAME THING.

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.