A B727 freighter hits a parked truck while self parking at the cargo ramp in clt, nc.

Attributes
ACN	460269
Time
Date	200001
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : 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 : 120 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 3850
ASRS Report	460289
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8640 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	460270
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

On jan/xa/00 in clt (dark), aircraft was heading south on taxiway C and entered the cargo ramp at taxiway C8. The aircraft made an almost immediate right turn northbound and followed the marked centerline of the taxiway to the parking area. The ground handlers were not providing any guidance to the captain who had total control of the aircraft. The aircraft struck a food catering truck parked approximately 56 ft left of the taxiway centerline with the left wingtip. The area where the truck parked was not lighted in anyway and because of the glare of the loaders flood lights it was very hard to see in the dark areas of the ramp. I never saw that the truck was parked too close to the taxiway. The ramp was cluttered on both sides of the aircraft with loading equipment, vehicles and cargo containers. The FAA inspector considered this an incident and not an accident. I recommend the following things: 1) the area where the truck was parked should be better lighted. 2) no vehicles should be allowed to park in this area. 3) txwys should be properly marked. 4) clutter of equipment on both sides of the aircraft moved to a safer distance from the aircraft. 5) lighting should be positioned so as not to blind the flight crew. Note: the B727 wing span is 108 ft. Supplemental information from acn 460270: after the aircraft was chocked, I opened the cargo door and noticed the damage to the left wingtip. The ground personnel remarked that they did not see us hit the truck. Supplemental information from acn 460268: I was at my flight engineer desk, doing my flight engineer duties, so I didn't really see anything, but did feel a bump -- felt like a chock had been run over.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FREIGHTER HITS A PARKED TRUCK WHILE SELF PARKING AT THE CARGO RAMP IN CLT, NC.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/00 IN CLT (DARK), ACFT WAS HDG S ON TXWY C AND ENTERED THE CARGO RAMP AT TXWY C8. THE ACFT MADE AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE R TURN NBOUND AND FOLLOWED THE MARKED CTRLINE OF THE TXWY TO THE PARKING AREA. THE GND HANDLERS WERE NOT PROVIDING ANY GUIDANCE TO THE CAPT WHO HAD TOTAL CTL OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT STRUCK A FOOD CATERING TRUCK PARKED APPROX 56 FT L OF THE TXWY CTRLINE WITH THE L WINGTIP. THE AREA WHERE THE TRUCK PARKED WAS NOT LIGHTED IN ANYWAY AND BECAUSE OF THE GLARE OF THE LOADERS FLOOD LIGHTS IT WAS VERY HARD TO SEE IN THE DARK AREAS OF THE RAMP. I NEVER SAW THAT THE TRUCK WAS PARKED TOO CLOSE TO THE TXWY. THE RAMP WAS CLUTTERED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT WITH LOADING EQUIP, VEHICLES AND CARGO CONTAINERS. THE FAA INSPECTOR CONSIDERED THIS AN INCIDENT AND NOT AN ACCIDENT. I RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING THINGS: 1) THE AREA WHERE THE TRUCK WAS PARKED SHOULD BE BETTER LIGHTED. 2) NO VEHICLES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PARK IN THIS AREA. 3) TXWYS SHOULD BE PROPERLY MARKED. 4) CLUTTER OF EQUIP ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT MOVED TO A SAFER DISTANCE FROM THE ACFT. 5) LIGHTING SHOULD BE POSITIONED SO AS NOT TO BLIND THE FLC. NOTE: THE B727 WING SPAN IS 108 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 460270: AFTER THE ACFT WAS CHOCKED, I OPENED THE CARGO DOOR AND NOTICED THE DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP. THE GND PERSONNEL REMARKED THAT THEY DID NOT SEE US HIT THE TRUCK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 460268: I WAS AT MY FE DESK, DOING MY FE DUTIES, SO I DIDN'T REALLY SEE ANYTHING, BUT DID FEEL A BUMP -- FELT LIKE A CHOCK HAD BEEN RUN OVER.

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.