Narrative:

We were being marshalled into our parking spot at the cargo area at oak, ca. While there is always ground equipment around the parking area, nothing appeared to be a hazard as we approached the gate. The marshaller directed us in, stopped us in the gate, and indicated we were chocked and had external power. We accomplished the shutdown checklist. As we exited the aircraft cockpit, the mechanic came on board and advised us that we had been marshalled into 2 belt loaders with #4 engine. This was the first indication we had that the aircraft had struck anything. There had been no wing walkers nor any indication from the marshaller to stop, or that we had struck anything. Neither the first officer nor myself observed anything from our point of view from the cockpit while approaching, that equipment was too close. It is obvious that judging distance from the cockpit indicates things are closer than they appear. The #4 engine air scoop was damaged. Supplemental information from acn 434017: better awareness by the ground crew could have prevented contact. Also, had the ground crew adhered to the safety zones painted on the ramp, the equipment would not have been in the path of the aircraft. This is a case of allowing schedule pressure to interfere with safe and prudent operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC8-61 STRUCK 2 BELT LOADERS WHILE BEING GUIDED TO PARKING SPOT AT OAK.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED INTO OUR PARKING SPOT AT THE CARGO AREA AT OAK, CA. WHILE THERE IS ALWAYS GND EQUIP AROUND THE PARKING AREA, NOTHING APPEARED TO BE A HAZARD AS WE APCHED THE GATE. THE MARSHALLER DIRECTED US IN, STOPPED US IN THE GATE, AND INDICATED WE WERE CHOCKED AND HAD EXTERNAL PWR. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. AS WE EXITED THE ACFT COCKPIT, THE MECH CAME ON BOARD AND ADVISED US THAT WE HAD BEEN MARSHALLED INTO 2 BELT LOADERS WITH #4 ENG. THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION WE HAD THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK ANYTHING. THERE HAD BEEN NO WING WALKERS NOR ANY INDICATION FROM THE MARSHALLER TO STOP, OR THAT WE HAD STRUCK ANYTHING. NEITHER THE FO NOR MYSELF OBSERVED ANYTHING FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW FROM THE COCKPIT WHILE APCHING, THAT EQUIP WAS TOO CLOSE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT JUDGING DISTANCE FROM THE COCKPIT INDICATES THINGS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR. THE #4 ENG AIR SCOOP WAS DAMAGED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 434017: BETTER AWARENESS BY THE GND CREW COULD HAVE PREVENTED CONTACT. ALSO, HAD THE GND CREW ADHERED TO THE SAFETY ZONES PAINTED ON THE RAMP, THE EQUIP WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE PATH OF THE ACFT. THIS IS A CASE OF ALLOWING SCHEDULE PRESSURE TO INTERFERE WITH SAFE AND PRUDENT OPS.

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.