Narrative:

While being marshaled into the gate in phl, the left winglet of our plane came into contact with the right wing of a saab SF340. Our aircraft was lined up perfectly with the taxi line. There were 3 marshalers -- one on each wingtip and a primary. Both wingtip marshalers were holding a lit wand in the air signaling sufficient wingtip clearance. The lead marshaller was signaling the go ahead. Using caution and with the added assurance of wingtip clearance of the left wingtip walker, I continued taxiing the aircraft following the primary lead's marshaling instructions. At no time did the primary marshaller signal a stop. It wasn't until the winglet came into contact with the saab did the wing walker issue a stop. Shortly thereafter the left wing walker and the primary marshaller became involved in a heated argument. What I believed really caused the problem. The saab that we hit was parked there earlier in the day by a different set of ramp workers. According to the captain, during their taxi in a pair of chocks were noticed on the taxi line. In an effort to miss the chocks the captain parked the airplane several ft to the right of the taxi line encroaching into our parking spot. The crew that marshaled us in was unaware the saab was not parked in its normal position. Not normally having a clearance problem, the primary lead marshaled us in without regard for wingtip clearance. I believe that if there had been better communications between the changing shifts and the individuals assigned to marshal the aircraft, this situation could have been avoided. Also a contributing factor was the fact that the left wingtip marshaller had only 1 lit wand. He had no clear way to signal the primary lead of the inadequate clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC IN AN SF34 HAS A L WINGTIP STRIKE THE SF34 PARKED IN THE NEXT SPOT WHILE THE GND CREW WAS MARSHALING THEM INTO THE GATE.

Narrative: WHILE BEING MARSHALED INTO THE GATE IN PHL, THE L WINGLET OF OUR PLANE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE R WING OF A SAAB SF340. OUR ACFT WAS LINED UP PERFECTLY WITH THE TAXI LINE. THERE WERE 3 MARSHALERS -- ONE ON EACH WINGTIP AND A PRIMARY. BOTH WINGTIP MARSHALERS WERE HOLDING A LIT WAND IN THE AIR SIGNALING SUFFICIENT WINGTIP CLRNC. THE LEAD MARSHALLER WAS SIGNALING THE GO AHEAD. USING CAUTION AND WITH THE ADDED ASSURANCE OF WINGTIP CLRNC OF THE L WINGTIP WALKER, I CONTINUED TAXIING THE ACFT FOLLOWING THE PRIMARY LEAD'S MARSHALING INSTRUCTIONS. AT NO TIME DID THE PRIMARY MARSHALLER SIGNAL A STOP. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE WINGLET CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE SAAB DID THE WING WALKER ISSUE A STOP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE L WING WALKER AND THE PRIMARY MARSHALLER BECAME INVOLVED IN A HEATED ARGUMENT. WHAT I BELIEVED REALLY CAUSED THE PROB. THE SAAB THAT WE HIT WAS PARKED THERE EARLIER IN THE DAY BY A DIFFERENT SET OF RAMP WORKERS. ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, DURING THEIR TAXI IN A PAIR OF CHOCKS WERE NOTICED ON THE TAXI LINE. IN AN EFFORT TO MISS THE CHOCKS THE CAPT PARKED THE AIRPLANE SEVERAL FT TO THE R OF THE TAXI LINE ENCROACHING INTO OUR PARKING SPOT. THE CREW THAT MARSHALED US IN WAS UNAWARE THE SAAB WAS NOT PARKED IN ITS NORMAL POS. NOT NORMALLY HAVING A CLRNC PROB, THE PRIMARY LEAD MARSHALED US IN WITHOUT REGARD FOR WINGTIP CLRNC. I BELIEVE THAT IF THERE HAD BEEN BETTER COMS BTWN THE CHANGING SHIFTS AND THE INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO MARSHAL THE ACFT, THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT THE L WINGTIP MARSHALLER HAD ONLY 1 LIT WAND. HE HAD NO CLR WAY TO SIGNAL THE PRIMARY LEAD OF THE INADEQUATE CLRNC.

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.