Narrative:

Time was XA55. We were taxiing in to the ramp for parking. I told the first officer to watch the right wing as we were parking and make sure it clears the edge of the building. Outside the aircraft was 2 marshallers. One was standing where we were to park and the other marshaller was in front of the aircraft beside the building watching the right wing. The marshaller was motioning me forward when I felt the right wingtip make contact with the corner of the building. I immediately stopped the aircraft. Initially, neither the first officer nor the marshaller realized we had hit the wingtip. Both of them told me that due to it being so dark and the one flood light located on a pole behind and to the right of the aircraft on the edge of the ramp was glaring and making it hard for them to judge the distance from the building to the wingtip. They both said they thought the wingtip was going to clear the corner. I immediately shut down both engines and deplaned the passenger. I then called maintenance located on the field and our maintenance control and dispatch. I told them about the events that happened and that the only damage I could see to the aircraft was the broken wingtip lens cover. The mechanic inspected the wing and wingtip and noticed no structural damage. We then decided to push the aircraft back and again the mechanic inspected the aircraft and the wing. He found no other damage to the aircraft except for the broken lens cover. We removed the lens cover per our maintenance control and our cdl list and completed all of the required paperwork. The mechanic signed off the deferrable lens cover and returned the aircraft back to revenue flight. We contacted dispatch and re-released the aircraft back to detroit. Upon arrival back into detroit the first officer and I completed our drug tests and finished talking with our chief pilot. All reports were completed. I feel that the lighting and the fact that there are no taxi lines guiding us in to the ramp, or guiding us during the turn were major factors, plus the fact that the marshaller was guiding me forward as I parked with no indication of how close we were to the building, until I realized we made contact with the wingtip and corner of the building.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 CREW TAXIING IN TO GATE UNDER GUIDANCE OF 2 MARSHALLERS HIT CORNER OF BUILDING WITH THE R WINGTIP.

Narrative: TIME WAS XA55. WE WERE TAXIING IN TO THE RAMP FOR PARKING. I TOLD THE FO TO WATCH THE R WING AS WE WERE PARKING AND MAKE SURE IT CLRS THE EDGE OF THE BUILDING. OUTSIDE THE ACFT WAS 2 MARSHALLERS. ONE WAS STANDING WHERE WE WERE TO PARK AND THE OTHER MARSHALLER WAS IN FRONT OF THE ACFT BESIDE THE BUILDING WATCHING THE R WING. THE MARSHALLER WAS MOTIONING ME FORWARD WHEN I FELT THE R WINGTIP MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. INITIALLY, NEITHER THE FO NOR THE MARSHALLER REALIZED WE HAD HIT THE WINGTIP. BOTH OF THEM TOLD ME THAT DUE TO IT BEING SO DARK AND THE ONE FLOOD LIGHT LOCATED ON A POLE BEHIND AND TO THE R OF THE ACFT ON THE EDGE OF THE RAMP WAS GLARING AND MAKING IT HARD FOR THEM TO JUDGE THE DISTANCE FROM THE BUILDING TO THE WINGTIP. THEY BOTH SAID THEY THOUGHT THE WINGTIP WAS GOING TO CLR THE CORNER. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS AND DEPLANED THE PAX. I THEN CALLED MAINT LOCATED ON THE FIELD AND OUR MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH. I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AND THAT THE ONLY DAMAGE I COULD SEE TO THE ACFT WAS THE BROKEN WINGTIP LENS COVER. THE MECH INSPECTED THE WING AND WINGTIP AND NOTICED NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. WE THEN DECIDED TO PUSH THE ACFT BACK AND AGAIN THE MECH INSPECTED THE ACFT AND THE WING. HE FOUND NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT EXCEPT FOR THE BROKEN LENS COVER. WE REMOVED THE LENS COVER PER OUR MAINT CTL AND OUR CDL LIST AND COMPLETED ALL OF THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK. THE MECH SIGNED OFF THE DEFERRABLE LENS COVER AND RETURNED THE ACFT BACK TO REVENUE FLT. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND RE-RELEASED THE ACFT BACK TO DETROIT. UPON ARR BACK INTO DETROIT THE FO AND I COMPLETED OUR DRUG TESTS AND FINISHED TALKING WITH OUR CHIEF PLT. ALL RPTS WERE COMPLETED. I FEEL THAT THE LIGHTING AND THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO TAXI LINES GUIDING US IN TO THE RAMP, OR GUIDING US DURING THE TURN WERE MAJOR FACTORS, PLUS THE FACT THAT THE MARSHALLER WAS GUIDING ME FORWARD AS I PARKED WITH NO INDICATION OF HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO THE BUILDING, UNTIL I REALIZED WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE WINGTIP AND CORNER OF THE BUILDING.

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.