Narrative:

On a scheduled passenger flight, our aircraft's left wingtip struck a set of boarding stairs while we were being marshalled out of remote ramp parking spot by ground personnel. At our hub aircraft are normally boarded using passenger busses and light weight airstair ground equipment. After closing the cabin door, these stairs are to be manually pulled back by ramp personnel clear of the airplane's wingspan. On this occurrence, all checklists and actions required by company procedures, safety, and common sense, were accomplished by the flight crew prior to engine start and aircraft movement. This included visual confirmation to the best of our ability that both sides of the aircraft were clear. From my position on the left seat, the airstair position relative to the left side of the aircraft was identical to where they always are and I judged it safe to proceed with ground personnel guidance. It also must be noted that on our aircraft the actual wingtip area is only visible from the flight deck, with shoulder straps off, and by craning the neck more than 120 degrees while looking out the lower rear portion of the side window. This is of course impossible during taxi operations. Obviously, from the point of impact, the stairs were probably left within the aircraft's wingspan by 1-2 ft. Contributing factors include the fact that on this ramp position measured and painted equipment safe areas are not provided, ongoing construction severely impacts ramp space, and ramp lighting may have been insufficient during the prevailing night conditions. Also, wingwalkers are not normally provided during power outs. The primary cause of this incident in my opinion was complete inattn by the marshaller. Prior to engine start he positioned himself at the normal location directly in front of the aircraft on the taxi out line. From this position he had a direct and unobstructed view of the total wingspan and the airstairs. After engine start was completed and the ready to taxi signal was given, the marshaller directed us to proceed straight out on the taxi line. Unknown to the flight crew the impact must have occurred within 1/2 aircraft length movement. The marshaller must have not been paying attention at all as he was in a perfect position to see the entire wing and the impending mishap with the stairs and had ample time to stop us as we moved very slowly. He instead marshalled us forward another 1-2 aircraft lengths before indicating a turn and waving us off as everything was normal. The flight crew was then almost simultaneously alerted by other persons on company radio frequency and by the flight attendant, who had been alerted by a passenger, that a ground mishap may have occurred. We then returned to a different parking spot and completed the parking checklist. Maintenance personnel were summoned and inspection revealed inconsequential wear to the left strobe flash guard and an approximately 2 inch scratch on the wingtip leading edge. A discrepancy was entered in the aircraft logbook. After minor dressing out of the scratch and minimum delay the aircraft was returned to service by maintenance personnel. I believe the marshaller used poor judgement in deciding to marshal us out without paying attention to the airstair position relative to the wingspan. Although not an excuse for this complete inattn, ramp safety and ramp personnel performance would be enhanced if the contributing factors noted are remedied by the company. I feel the flight crew performed our duty to the best of our ability under the circumstances. However, I do intend to contact the appropriate company officers to address the concerns noted. In the future, I will use even greater vigilance, and if faced with similar circumstances, call for wingwalkers on pwrouts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 WINGTIP STRIKE ON TAXI FROM PARKING WHILE BEING MARSHALLED AT EWR.

Narrative: ON A SCHEDULED PAX FLT, OUR ACFT'S L WINGTIP STRUCK A SET OF BOARDING STAIRS WHILE WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED OUT OF REMOTE RAMP PARKING SPOT BY GND PERSONNEL. AT OUR HUB ACFT ARE NORMALLY BOARDED USING PAX BUSSES AND LIGHT WT AIRSTAIR GND EQUIP. AFTER CLOSING THE CABIN DOOR, THESE STAIRS ARE TO BE MANUALLY PULLED BACK BY RAMP PERSONNEL CLR OF THE AIRPLANE'S WINGSPAN. ON THIS OCCURRENCE, ALL CHKLISTS AND ACTIONS REQUIRED BY COMPANY PROCS, SAFETY, AND COMMON SENSE, WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE FLC PRIOR TO ENG START AND ACFT MOVEMENT. THIS INCLUDED VISUAL CONFIRMATION TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY THAT BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT WERE CLR. FROM MY POS ON THE L SEAT, THE AIRSTAIR POS RELATIVE TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT WAS IDENTICAL TO WHERE THEY ALWAYS ARE AND I JUDGED IT SAFE TO PROCEED WITH GND PERSONNEL GUIDANCE. IT ALSO MUST BE NOTED THAT ON OUR ACFT THE ACTUAL WINGTIP AREA IS ONLY VISIBLE FROM THE FLT DECK, WITH SHOULDER STRAPS OFF, AND BY CRANING THE NECK MORE THAN 120 DEGS WHILE LOOKING OUT THE LOWER REAR PORTION OF THE SIDE WINDOW. THIS IS OF COURSE IMPOSSIBLE DURING TAXI OPS. OBVIOUSLY, FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT, THE STAIRS WERE PROBABLY LEFT WITHIN THE ACFT'S WINGSPAN BY 1-2 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT ON THIS RAMP POS MEASURED AND PAINTED EQUIP SAFE AREAS ARE NOT PROVIDED, ONGOING CONSTRUCTION SEVERELY IMPACTS RAMP SPACE, AND RAMP LIGHTING MAY HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT DURING THE PREVAILING NIGHT CONDITIONS. ALSO, WINGWALKERS ARE NOT NORMALLY PROVIDED DURING PWR OUTS. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IN MY OPINION WAS COMPLETE INATTN BY THE MARSHALLER. PRIOR TO ENG START HE POSITIONED HIMSELF AT THE NORMAL LOCATION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT ON THE TAXI OUT LINE. FROM THIS POS HE HAD A DIRECT AND UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE TOTAL WINGSPAN AND THE AIRSTAIRS. AFTER ENG START WAS COMPLETED AND THE READY TO TAXI SIGNAL WAS GIVEN, THE MARSHALLER DIRECTED US TO PROCEED STRAIGHT OUT ON THE TAXI LINE. UNKNOWN TO THE FLC THE IMPACT MUST HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN 1/2 ACFT LENGTH MOVEMENT. THE MARSHALLER MUST HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTN AT ALL AS HE WAS IN A PERFECT POS TO SEE THE ENTIRE WING AND THE IMPENDING MISHAP WITH THE STAIRS AND HAD AMPLE TIME TO STOP US AS WE MOVED VERY SLOWLY. HE INSTEAD MARSHALLED US FORWARD ANOTHER 1-2 ACFT LENGTHS BEFORE INDICATING A TURN AND WAVING US OFF AS EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE FLC WAS THEN ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY ALERTED BY OTHER PERSONS ON COMPANY RADIO FREQ AND BY THE FLT ATTENDANT, WHO HAD BEEN ALERTED BY A PAX, THAT A GND MISHAP MAY HAVE OCCURRED. WE THEN RETURNED TO A DIFFERENT PARKING SPOT AND COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST. MAINT PERSONNEL WERE SUMMONED AND INSPECTION REVEALED INCONSEQUENTIAL WEAR TO THE L STROBE FLASH GUARD AND AN APPROX 2 INCH SCRATCH ON THE WINGTIP LEADING EDGE. A DISCREPANCY WAS ENTERED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. AFTER MINOR DRESSING OUT OF THE SCRATCH AND MINIMUM DELAY THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC BY MAINT PERSONNEL. I BELIEVE THE MARSHALLER USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN DECIDING TO MARSHAL US OUT WITHOUT PAYING ATTN TO THE AIRSTAIR POS RELATIVE TO THE WINGSPAN. ALTHOUGH NOT AN EXCUSE FOR THIS COMPLETE INATTN, RAMP SAFETY AND RAMP PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE WOULD BE ENHANCED IF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS NOTED ARE REMEDIED BY THE COMPANY. I FEEL THE FLC PERFORMED OUR DUTY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER, I DO INTEND TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE COMPANY OFFICERS TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS NOTED. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL USE EVEN GREATER VIGILANCE, AND IF FACED WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, CALL FOR WINGWALKERS ON PWROUTS.

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.