Narrative:

Well, I actually did it. I parked at the wrong gate. Assigned xc at lga, we landed at the end of a 3 day new hire first officer IOE. He contacted ramp after clearing the runway to confirm the gate was xc. Confirmed. I taxied in the alley, saw the guideman and wing walkers in place. I thought to myself that it was unusual to have the ground personnel in place as we entered the ramp. I parked the aircraft and we completed the parking checklist. About that time we got an ACARS message saying our new gate was xa. I called ramp to say we got the message late. He informed us rather nicely that we were already at gate xa. The guideman waving at me lured me to the wrong gate. I made a very basic mistake that I had feared from the moment I checked out as captain 11 yrs ago. I should have looked at the gate number, not the waving guideman. There were no guidemen at gate xa which I had expected. I exited the gate area quickly hiding my face. I should have listened to what I teach my new capts about verifying the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SUPER MD80 CAPT PARKED AT THE WRONG GATE DUE TO FOLLOWING RAMP PERSONNEL GUIDANCE WITHOUT VERIFYING THAT IT WAS THE ASSIGNED GATE.

Narrative: WELL, I ACTUALLY DID IT. I PARKED AT THE WRONG GATE. ASSIGNED XC AT LGA, WE LANDED AT THE END OF A 3 DAY NEW HIRE FO IOE. HE CONTACTED RAMP AFTER CLRING THE RWY TO CONFIRM THE GATE WAS XC. CONFIRMED. I TAXIED IN THE ALLEY, SAW THE GUIDEMAN AND WING WALKERS IN PLACE. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL TO HAVE THE GND PERSONNEL IN PLACE AS WE ENTERED THE RAMP. I PARKED THE ACFT AND WE COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST. ABOUT THAT TIME WE GOT AN ACARS MESSAGE SAYING OUR NEW GATE WAS XA. I CALLED RAMP TO SAY WE GOT THE MESSAGE LATE. HE INFORMED US RATHER NICELY THAT WE WERE ALREADY AT GATE XA. THE GUIDEMAN WAVING AT ME LURED ME TO THE WRONG GATE. I MADE A VERY BASIC MISTAKE THAT I HAD FEARED FROM THE MOMENT I CHKED OUT AS CAPT 11 YRS AGO. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE GATE NUMBER, NOT THE WAVING GUIDEMAN. THERE WERE NO GUIDEMEN AT GATE XA WHICH I HAD EXPECTED. I EXITED THE GATE AREA QUICKLY HIDING MY FACE. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO WHAT I TEACH MY NEW CAPTS ABOUT VERIFYING THE 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.