Narrative:

When we arrived at our gate to park, there was no marshall present. We waited about 5 mins, and a marshall finally appeared and turned on the rlg guidance system lights. We visually cleared the entire parking sterile area (red box) while waiting for a marshall, and observed that there were no hazards. The rlg lights remained on throughout the parking process. We glanced over at the marshall and he did not show any signs that anything was wrong. As we continued, I realized that the bottom red progress/stop lights were red, and brought the airplane to a stop. At the same time, I felt a very slight bump. We shut down the engines and completed the parking checklist, and called the ground crewman to the headset. I told him I felt a slight bump, and he said I had bumped the towbar, but there was no damage. He said that I had not been cleared to park. At no time did he turn off the rlg guidance lights to indicate he observed a problem, per fom. My feeling is that he would have allowed me to taxi all the way into the loading bridge/terminal if I had not stopped the airplane when I observed the red progress/stop lights. Supplemental information from acn 512537: I observed the red box area remained clear the entire time we taxied in and also noted that the marshall showed no sign that anything was wrong. The captain noted that the progress/stop light was red and brought the aircraft to a stop. We were informed the bump we felt was a chock on the nosewheel and no damage had occurred. The rlg lights remained on throughout the process and never were turned off to indicate there was a problem per the fom.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CAPT HITS WHEEL SHOCK DURING GATE PARKING DUE TO LACK OF GND SVC PERSONNEL GUIDANCE INDICATION TO STOP AND THE GUIDANCE SYS RED LIGHTS FINALLY SHOWING STOP.

Narrative: WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR GATE TO PARK, THERE WAS NO MARSHALL PRESENT. WE WAITED ABOUT 5 MINS, AND A MARSHALL FINALLY APPEARED AND TURNED ON THE RLG GUIDANCE SYS LIGHTS. WE VISUALLY CLRED THE ENTIRE PARKING STERILE AREA (RED BOX) WHILE WAITING FOR A MARSHALL, AND OBSERVED THAT THERE WERE NO HAZARDS. THE RLG LIGHTS REMAINED ON THROUGHOUT THE PARKING PROCESS. WE GLANCED OVER AT THE MARSHALL AND HE DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. AS WE CONTINUED, I REALIZED THAT THE BOTTOM RED PROGRESS/STOP LIGHTS WERE RED, AND BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE TO A STOP. AT THE SAME TIME, I FELT A VERY SLIGHT BUMP. WE SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND COMPLETED THE PARKING CHKLIST, AND CALLED THE GND CREWMAN TO THE HEADSET. I TOLD HIM I FELT A SLIGHT BUMP, AND HE SAID I HAD BUMPED THE TOWBAR, BUT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. HE SAID THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO PARK. AT NO TIME DID HE TURN OFF THE RLG GUIDANCE LIGHTS TO INDICATE HE OBSERVED A PROB, PER FOM. MY FEELING IS THAT HE WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO TAXI ALL THE WAY INTO THE LOADING BRIDGE/TERMINAL IF I HAD NOT STOPPED THE AIRPLANE WHEN I OBSERVED THE RED PROGRESS/STOP LIGHTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 512537: I OBSERVED THE RED BOX AREA REMAINED CLR THE ENTIRE TIME WE TAXIED IN AND ALSO NOTED THAT THE MARSHALL SHOWED NO SIGN THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. THE CAPT NOTED THAT THE PROGRESS/STOP LIGHT WAS RED AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP. WE WERE INFORMED THE BUMP WE FELT WAS A CHOCK ON THE NOSEWHEEL AND NO DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. THE RLG LIGHTS REMAINED ON THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND NEVER WERE TURNED OFF TO INDICATE THERE WAS A PROB PER THE FOM.

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.