Narrative:

Feb/xa/99, night, light winds, moon illumination nill, and ramp appeared clear of ice. Taxi to gate at buf. 2 other aircraft were parked with engines off. A single marshaller was acting as wing walker. The marshaller appeared to be keeping aircraft as far from other aircraft as possible. The marshaller was positioned perpendicular to left wingtip and forward of the aircraft. Taxi speed was extremely slow. The marshaller/wing walker directed a series of short turns to the right. On the final turn to the right the left seat pilot sensed other than normal aircraft feel and stopped the aircraft. Nosewheel, nosewheel steering, ramp surface, and the wingtip were suspected. The marshaller was still directing forward movement after the aircraft was stopped. The left seat pilot set the parking brake, shut down both engines, and directed to insert chalks. The plane was turned over to maintenance. Problem caused by too much trust in marshaller. Pilots should back up marshaller more. Recommendations: require a wing walker when wingtip clearance is less than 25 ft from any obstacle. Prohibit taxi with less than 10 ft wingtip clearance. When less than 10 ft wingtip clearance exists, remove the obstacle or have the aircraft towed. Train pilots on what 25 ft and 10 ft wingtip clearance looks like from the captain, first officer, and xcockpit position. Stress to flight attendant, pilot should brief, that they are part of the crew and if they see something they question -- speak up. List known or suspected taxi hazards on the flight release. Analyze if the wing grows during a turn to include tiller and free caster turns. Disseminate incident details, without names, to include lessons learned and corrective actions so that we may learn from this event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIING IN TO GATE STRUCK FENCE WHILE FOLLOWING MARSHALL'S GUIDANCE.

Narrative: FEB/XA/99, NIGHT, LIGHT WINDS, MOON ILLUMINATION NILL, AND RAMP APPEARED CLR OF ICE. TAXI TO GATE AT BUF. 2 OTHER ACFT WERE PARKED WITH ENGS OFF. A SINGLE MARSHALLER WAS ACTING AS WING WALKER. THE MARSHALLER APPEARED TO BE KEEPING ACFT AS FAR FROM OTHER ACFT AS POSSIBLE. THE MARSHALLER WAS POSITIONED PERPENDICULAR TO L WINGTIP AND FORWARD OF THE ACFT. TAXI SPD WAS EXTREMELY SLOW. THE MARSHALLER/WING WALKER DIRECTED A SERIES OF SHORT TURNS TO THE R. ON THE FINAL TURN TO THE R THE L SEAT PLT SENSED OTHER THAN NORMAL ACFT FEEL AND STOPPED THE ACFT. NOSEWHEEL, NOSEWHEEL STEERING, RAMP SURFACE, AND THE WINGTIP WERE SUSPECTED. THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL DIRECTING FORWARD MOVEMENT AFTER THE ACFT WAS STOPPED. THE L SEAT PLT SET THE PARKING BRAKE, SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS, AND DIRECTED TO INSERT CHALKS. THE PLANE WAS TURNED OVER TO MAINT. PROB CAUSED BY TOO MUCH TRUST IN MARSHALLER. PLTS SHOULD BACK UP MARSHALLER MORE. RECOMMENDATIONS: REQUIRE A WING WALKER WHEN WINGTIP CLRNC IS LESS THAN 25 FT FROM ANY OBSTACLE. PROHIBIT TAXI WITH LESS THAN 10 FT WINGTIP CLRNC. WHEN LESS THAN 10 FT WINGTIP CLRNC EXISTS, REMOVE THE OBSTACLE OR HAVE THE ACFT TOWED. TRAIN PLTS ON WHAT 25 FT AND 10 FT WINGTIP CLRNC LOOKS LIKE FROM THE CAPT, FO, AND XCOCKPIT POS. STRESS TO FLT ATTENDANT, PLT SHOULD BRIEF, THAT THEY ARE PART OF THE CREW AND IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THEY QUESTION -- SPEAK UP. LIST KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TAXI HAZARDS ON THE FLT RELEASE. ANALYZE IF THE WING GROWS DURING A TURN TO INCLUDE TILLER AND FREE CASTER TURNS. DISSEMINATE INCIDENT DETAILS, WITHOUT NAMES, TO INCLUDE LESSONS LEARNED AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SO THAT WE MAY LEARN FROM THIS EVENT.

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.