Narrative:

On jan/xa/98, I was the captain on flight from atlanta to jfk. Equipment was a B737-200. During taxi to the gate, I was under the control of a marshaller and 2 wing walkers. As I brought the aircraft to a stop at the direction of the marshaller, the left wingtip made contact with a cleaning vehicle parked near the jetway. Impact was very slight but produced a small 1 inch square dent in the leading edge slat about 6 inches inboard from the left wingtip light. The marshaller was unable to see or communicate with the left wing walker due to the design of the jetway which blocked their vision. I was also unable to see the left wingtip during the final 10-15 ft of travel to the parking spot. The aircraft was centered on the appropriate yellow line and all safety precautions were followed. The causes of this incidents were: 1) poor jetway design, 2) inability of wing walker to maintain visual contact or other communication with the marshaller, 3) vehicle parked in inappropriate spot on ramp, 4) poorly painted 'no park' lines in the gate area. The incident has been referred to air carrier X airline's safety for appropriate action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 ACFT TAXIING INTO GATE UNDER MARSHALLER AND WING WALKER GUIDANCE HIT PARKED CLEANING TRUCK WHICH WAS IN UNAUTH LOCATION. MARSHALLER COULDN'T SEE WING WALKER DUE TO DESIGN OF JETWAY.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/98, I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM ATLANTA TO JFK. EQUIP WAS A B737-200. DURING TAXI TO THE GATE, I WAS UNDER THE CTL OF A MARSHALLER AND 2 WING WALKERS. AS I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP AT THE DIRECTION OF THE MARSHALLER, THE L WINGTIP MADE CONTACT WITH A CLEANING VEHICLE PARKED NEAR THE JETWAY. IMPACT WAS VERY SLIGHT BUT PRODUCED A SMALL 1 INCH SQUARE DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE SLAT ABOUT 6 INCHES INBOARD FROM THE L WINGTIP LIGHT. THE MARSHALLER WAS UNABLE TO SEE OR COMMUNICATE WITH THE L WING WALKER DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE JETWAY WHICH BLOCKED THEIR VISION. I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO SEE THE L WINGTIP DURING THE FINAL 10-15 FT OF TRAVEL TO THE PARKING SPOT. THE ACFT WAS CTRED ON THE APPROPRIATE YELLOW LINE AND ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WERE FOLLOWED. THE CAUSES OF THIS INCIDENTS WERE: 1) POOR JETWAY DESIGN, 2) INABILITY OF WING WALKER TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT OR OTHER COM WITH THE MARSHALLER, 3) VEHICLE PARKED IN INAPPROPRIATE SPOT ON RAMP, 4) POORLY PAINTED 'NO PARK' LINES IN THE GATE AREA. THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN REFERRED TO ACR X AIRLINE'S SAFETY FOR APPROPRIATE ACTION.

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.