B727 crew was being parked by a ground marshaller. Aircraft right wingtip hit a light pole.

Attributes
ACN	417083
Time
Date	199810
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : huf airport : huf
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	417083
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While being directed to parking spot by marshaller, right wing contacted light pole on edge of ramp. Light pole was knocked down. Aircraft #8 slat was only slightly damaged. No other damages occurred and there were no injuries to personnel. Parking area is very tight. Aircraft are taxied down center of ramp then turned left to 100 degrees to taxi close to edge of ramp then left again to park with nose toward center of ramp. As our aircraft was being brought toward edge of ramp we were worked around until we approached edge of ramp at approximately 30 degrees. Nose of aircraft came within 20 ft of pole. Were then turned left further to come parallel to edge of ramp. As we taxied parallel to ramp, wing contacted pole. We never received any signal from marshaller or a warning that the wingtip was over the edge of the ramp. There are no lines on the ramp to aid marshaller. During daylight hours, ramp is considered to be an active taxiway, therefore, not allowing lines to be painted on ramp. If aircraft are going to have to taxi so close to objects, then lines should be painted on the ramp. There also should have been wing walkers posted at more appropriate places. The ground handler, I believe, is resolving the latter, but the problem of the taxi lines still exists. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain was flying a B727-200 aircraft. After landing on runway 5 the crew exited left onto taxiway B. The captain reports the l-shaped ramp area is extremely tight and congested with 2 rows of parked aircraft. It is a make-do ramp area converted from day operations. The airport officials will not allow the ramp to be marked safely for cargo operations. The air carrier operates here because there is no other space provided. The pilot thinks that safety is in serious jeopardy unless adequate cargo ramp space is provided and aircraft movement lines are allowed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW WAS BEING PARKED BY A GND MARSHALLER. ACFT R WINGTIP HIT A LIGHT POLE.

Narrative: WHILE BEING DIRECTED TO PARKING SPOT BY MARSHALLER, R WING CONTACTED LIGHT POLE ON EDGE OF RAMP. LIGHT POLE WAS KNOCKED DOWN. ACFT #8 SLAT WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. NO OTHER DAMAGES OCCURRED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PERSONNEL. PARKING AREA IS VERY TIGHT. ACFT ARE TAXIED DOWN CTR OF RAMP THEN TURNED L TO 100 DEGS TO TAXI CLOSE TO EDGE OF RAMP THEN L AGAIN TO PARK WITH NOSE TOWARD CTR OF RAMP. AS OUR ACFT WAS BEING BROUGHT TOWARD EDGE OF RAMP WE WERE WORKED AROUND UNTIL WE APCHED EDGE OF RAMP AT APPROX 30 DEGS. NOSE OF ACFT CAME WITHIN 20 FT OF POLE. WERE THEN TURNED L FURTHER TO COME PARALLEL TO EDGE OF RAMP. AS WE TAXIED PARALLEL TO RAMP, WING CONTACTED POLE. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY SIGNAL FROM MARSHALLER OR A WARNING THAT THE WINGTIP WAS OVER THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. THERE ARE NO LINES ON THE RAMP TO AID MARSHALLER. DURING DAYLIGHT HRS, RAMP IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN ACTIVE TXWY, THEREFORE, NOT ALLOWING LINES TO BE PAINTED ON RAMP. IF ACFT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAXI SO CLOSE TO OBJECTS, THEN LINES SHOULD BE PAINTED ON THE RAMP. THERE ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN WING WALKERS POSTED AT MORE APPROPRIATE PLACES. THE GND HANDLER, I BELIEVE, IS RESOLVING THE LATTER, BUT THE PROB OF THE TAXI LINES STILL EXISTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT WAS FLYING A B727-200 ACFT. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 5 THE CREW EXITED L ONTO TXWY B. THE CAPT RPTS THE L-SHAPED RAMP AREA IS EXTREMELY TIGHT AND CONGESTED WITH 2 ROWS OF PARKED ACFT. IT IS A MAKE-DO RAMP AREA CONVERTED FROM DAY OPS. THE ARPT OFFICIALS WILL NOT ALLOW THE RAMP TO BE MARKED SAFELY FOR CARGO OPS. THE ACR OPERATES HERE BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER SPACE PROVIDED. THE PLT THINKS THAT SAFETY IS IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY UNLESS ADEQUATE CARGO RAMP SPACE IS PROVIDED AND ACFT MOVEMENT LINES ARE ALLOWED.

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.