Narrative:

On taxi in, our parking spot was in tight against building. As we taxied in, we stopped short of a walkway. We were being marshalled by mr X and our wing walker on the left wing was mr Y. Mr Y moved the walkway back and said we had plenty of room. I asked to shut down and deplane. They stated no. We then got the signal from the wing walker and the marshaller so we continued to our parking spot as I could not see the full wing. We moved approximately 2 ft and struck a commuter walk on the top of the wing. We put a scratch in wing cap about the size of 9 1/2 inches and shut down the airplane at that time. Supplemental information from acn 486699: we were taxiing in to the spot on the air carrier ramp. The marshaller, mr X, and the left wing walker, mr Y, both signaled that we could move forward. The captain thought we wouldn't clear the commuter walk structure, and he signaled that he would prefer to shut down and deplane the passenger at that spot. They insisted he would clear, and he again said he would rather shut down. Once again, the wing walker assured him he would clear the obstacle. (He was right next to the wingtip.) the captain turned hard right and moved not more than 1 ft when the marshaller signaled 'stop.' the left wingtip had made contact with part of the commuter walk. We shut the airplane down and deplaned the passenger. The only damage was a small scratch. Even in normal sits, taxiing in to the gate is difficult because of the tight quarters, but in this day a very inexperienced ramper made it worse. Preferably, the commuter walk in that area should be removed. If that is not possible, then only experienced rampers should be allowed to marshall and to serve as wing walkers for this gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT FLC HIT A PAX COMMUTER WALKWAY WHILE BEING MARSHALLED TO THE GATE AT DFW.

Narrative: ON TAXI IN, OUR PARKING SPOT WAS IN TIGHT AGAINST BUILDING. AS WE TAXIED IN, WE STOPPED SHORT OF A WALKWAY. WE WERE BEING MARSHALLED BY MR X AND OUR WING WALKER ON THE L WING WAS MR Y. MR Y MOVED THE WALKWAY BACK AND SAID WE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM. I ASKED TO SHUT DOWN AND DEPLANE. THEY STATED NO. WE THEN GOT THE SIGNAL FROM THE WING WALKER AND THE MARSHALLER SO WE CONTINUED TO OUR PARKING SPOT AS I COULD NOT SEE THE FULL WING. WE MOVED APPROX 2 FT AND STRUCK A COMMUTER WALK ON THE TOP OF THE WING. WE PUT A SCRATCH IN WING CAP ABOUT THE SIZE OF 9 1/2 INCHES AND SHUT DOWN THE AIRPLANE AT THAT TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 486699: WE WERE TAXIING IN TO THE SPOT ON THE ACR RAMP. THE MARSHALLER, MR X, AND THE L WING WALKER, MR Y, BOTH SIGNALED THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD. THE CAPT THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T CLR THE COMMUTER WALK STRUCTURE, AND HE SIGNALED THAT HE WOULD PREFER TO SHUT DOWN AND DEPLANE THE PAX AT THAT SPOT. THEY INSISTED HE WOULD CLR, AND HE AGAIN SAID HE WOULD RATHER SHUT DOWN. ONCE AGAIN, THE WING WALKER ASSURED HIM HE WOULD CLR THE OBSTACLE. (HE WAS RIGHT NEXT TO THE WINGTIP.) THE CAPT TURNED HARD R AND MOVED NOT MORE THAN 1 FT WHEN THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED 'STOP.' THE L WINGTIP HAD MADE CONTACT WITH PART OF THE COMMUTER WALK. WE SHUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND DEPLANED THE PAX. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS A SMALL SCRATCH. EVEN IN NORMAL SITS, TAXIING IN TO THE GATE IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE TIGHT QUARTERS, BUT IN THIS DAY A VERY INEXPERIENCED RAMPER MADE IT WORSE. PREFERABLY, THE COMMUTER WALK IN THAT AREA SHOULD BE REMOVED. IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEN ONLY EXPERIENCED RAMPERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MARSHALL AND TO SERVE AS WING WALKERS FOR THIS GATE.

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.