Narrative:

During repositioning of aircraft from hangar to gate, aircraft left wingtip struck maintenance van. I saw the van parked there but thought it was in safety zone. We had 2 wing walkers as well as the marshaller at the front of the aircraft. Wingtip struck van about 10 ft short of gate jetway. Left wing walker signaled to nose marshaller for us to stop, but nose marshaller did not signal us to stop or even slow down. I immediately stopped aircraft when I felt bump of hitting van. At this time, I looked down and marshaller was crossing wands. These events happened simultaneously. Van was parked just over safety zone as it turned out, this made the difference. Aircraft sustained very minor damage to wingtip. Aircraft was repaired at gate and redispatched. Myself, the copilot, and ground crew reported to drug testing clinic as instructed. Due to lack of visibility of wingtip (MD80 type aircraft) I had to rely on ground crew to ensure we were clear of all obstacles. This obviously failed. I believed we would clear the van and I knew we had wing walkers to ensure that. I believe ground personnel could use more extensive training to help ensure everybody is paying attention and is aware of what is going on. It seems these important people only received minimum training in ground operations. Aircraft was not being moved for purpose of flight, it was a repos only from hangar to gate, no passenger aboard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 TAXIING ON TO A GATE WITH A GUIDE MAN AND WING WALKERS STRUCK AN IMPROPERLY PARKED VAN INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP.

Narrative: DURING REPOSITIONING OF ACFT FROM HANGAR TO GATE, ACFT LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK MAINT VAN. I SAW THE VAN PARKED THERE BUT THOUGHT IT WAS IN SAFETY ZONE. WE HAD 2 WING WALKERS AS WELL AS THE MARSHALLER AT THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. WINGTIP STRUCK VAN ABOUT 10 FT SHORT OF GATE JETWAY. L WING WALKER SIGNALED TO NOSE MARSHALLER FOR US TO STOP, BUT NOSE MARSHALLER DID NOT SIGNAL US TO STOP OR EVEN SLOW DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ACFT WHEN I FELT BUMP OF HITTING VAN. AT THIS TIME, I LOOKED DOWN AND MARSHALLER WAS XING WANDS. THESE EVENTS HAPPENED SIMULTANEOUSLY. VAN WAS PARKED JUST OVER SAFETY ZONE AS IT TURNED OUT, THIS MADE THE DIFFERENCE. ACFT SUSTAINED VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO WINGTIP. ACFT WAS REPAIRED AT GATE AND REDISPATCHED. MYSELF, THE COPLT, AND GND CREW RPTED TO DRUG TESTING CLINIC AS INSTRUCTED. DUE TO LACK OF VISIBILITY OF WINGTIP (MD80 TYPE ACFT) I HAD TO RELY ON GND CREW TO ENSURE WE WERE CLR OF ALL OBSTACLES. THIS OBVIOUSLY FAILED. I BELIEVED WE WOULD CLR THE VAN AND I KNEW WE HAD WING WALKERS TO ENSURE THAT. I BELIEVE GND PERSONNEL COULD USE MORE EXTENSIVE TRAINING TO HELP ENSURE EVERYBODY IS PAYING ATTN AND IS AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON. IT SEEMS THESE IMPORTANT PEOPLE ONLY RECEIVED MINIMUM TRAINING IN GND OPS. ACFT WAS NOT BEING MOVED FOR PURPOSE OF FLT, IT WAS A REPOS ONLY FROM HANGAR TO GATE, NO PAX ABOARD.

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.