Narrative:

In the approach to gate, the gate area was clear of all vehicles between the safety lines, and 3 marshallers were in view. As we neared the gate and the right wing walker disappeared from my view, the first officer opened his sliding window to keep the wing walker in sight. During the approach to the gate and while being directed forward by the lead marshaller, the first officer and I were verbally communicating about the right wing walker's all clear wand position. Even though I was being given a 'come ahead' signal to taxi forward by the lead marshaller and the aircraft was on the taxi lead-in line, the first officer commanded that I stop the aircraft. The aircraft was immediately brought to a stop. The right wing struck a vehicle that was parked outside the safety line. No one was injured. The damage was limited to the right wingtip. The company needs to paint safety lines that represent a clear and safe zone in which to operate the aircraft. We were marshalled into a vehicle located outside of the safety lines, which means the lines, as they exist today, do not represent a safe area. Approximately 2 months ago, a similar incident occurred at this same gate. Post incident, took no action to correct the situation. Not correcting the situation set the stage for this incident. As of this date there are no plans to correct the lines. As pilots, our first line of defense as we approach a gate is a well-defined safe zone in which to operate delineated by easy to see markings. If a vehicle is detected within the safe zone, we stop the aircraft. The vehicle into which we were marshalled was actually outside of the safety markings. Second, better training for aircraft marshallers is a must. Had the right wing walker made his decision to stop the aircraft sooner, the first officer could have verbally commanded a stop prior to hitting the parked vehicle. The lead marshaller should have given me a stop signal as the right wing walker signaled a stop. In our case, the lead marshaller continued to give a 'come ahead signal' even though the right wing walker had signaled a stop. Poor training and no meaningful coordination between ground crew members should also be addressed by the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MARSHALLERS AND WING WALKERS, THE ACFT WING IS DAMAGED WHEN IT STRIKES A VEHICLE THAT IS OUTSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE MARKINGS. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE AT THIS COMPANY'S INSTALLATION.

Narrative: IN THE APCH TO GATE, THE GATE AREA WAS CLR OF ALL VEHICLES BTWN THE SAFETY LINES, AND 3 MARSHALLERS WERE IN VIEW. AS WE NEARED THE GATE AND THE R WING WALKER DISAPPEARED FROM MY VIEW, THE FO OPENED HIS SLIDING WINDOW TO KEEP THE WING WALKER IN SIGHT. DURING THE APCH TO THE GATE AND WHILE BEING DIRECTED FORWARD BY THE LEAD MARSHALLER, THE FO AND I WERE VERBALLY COMMUNICATING ABOUT THE R WING WALKER'S ALL CLR WAND POS. EVEN THOUGH I WAS BEING GIVEN A 'COME AHEAD' SIGNAL TO TAXI FORWARD BY THE LEAD MARSHALLER AND THE ACFT WAS ON THE TAXI LEAD-IN LINE, THE FO COMMANDED THAT I STOP THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO A STOP. THE R WING STRUCK A VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE THE SAFETY LINE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE R WINGTIP. THE COMPANY NEEDS TO PAINT SAFETY LINES THAT REPRESENT A CLR AND SAFE ZONE IN WHICH TO OPERATE THE ACFT. WE WERE MARSHALLED INTO A VEHICLE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE SAFETY LINES, WHICH MEANS THE LINES, AS THEY EXIST TODAY, DO NOT REPRESENT A SAFE AREA. APPROX 2 MONTHS AGO, A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THIS SAME GATE. POST INCIDENT, TOOK NO ACTION TO CORRECT THE SIT. NOT CORRECTING THE SIT SET THE STAGE FOR THIS INCIDENT. AS OF THIS DATE THERE ARE NO PLANS TO CORRECT THE LINES. AS PLTS, OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AS WE APCH A GATE IS A WELL-DEFINED SAFE ZONE IN WHICH TO OPERATE DELINEATED BY EASY TO SEE MARKINGS. IF A VEHICLE IS DETECTED WITHIN THE SAFE ZONE, WE STOP THE ACFT. THE VEHICLE INTO WHICH WE WERE MARSHALLED WAS ACTUALLY OUTSIDE OF THE SAFETY MARKINGS. SECOND, BETTER TRAINING FOR ACFT MARSHALLERS IS A MUST. HAD THE R WING WALKER MADE HIS DECISION TO STOP THE ACFT SOONER, THE FO COULD HAVE VERBALLY COMMANDED A STOP PRIOR TO HITTING THE PARKED VEHICLE. THE LEAD MARSHALLER SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A STOP SIGNAL AS THE R WING WALKER SIGNALED A STOP. IN OUR CASE, THE LEAD MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO GIVE A 'COME AHEAD SIGNAL' EVEN THOUGH THE R WING WALKER HAD SIGNALED A STOP. POOR TRAINING AND NO MEANINGFUL COORD BTWN GND CREW MEMBERS SHOULD ALSO BE ADDRESSED BY THE COMPANY.

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.