Narrative:

After parking at the cargo ramp in orf, a semi-trailer was parked near our DC9 (series 15). It was decided by the crew that the aircraft could taxi past the semi-trailer. We had our cargo load master/marshaller as a wing walker to watch the left wingtip (while both windows were open and the wing walker was visible to the pilot taxiing the plane in the left seat. I in PIC IOE upgrade training was in the left seat and captain/check airman was in the right seat, and load master was outside the plane watching the left wing. As we started moving, the left wingtip contacted the semi-trailer before we could stop the aircraft. Hence, the left position light lens was cracked and the front corner of the left wingtip was scraped. Contributing factors were: unnecessary obstacles placed permanently on the ramp where only the planes should be, and unattended obstacles unable to be moved in a timely manner. The situation was discussed by all crew members -- and was considered to be completely safe. After the cargo was unloaded and the crew was ready to depart, there was not any tractor available to move the trailer. All crew members discussed/pre-briefed that the operation could be safely accomplished, and the distance and turn radius of the aircraft were deemed adequate by the crew. During the right turn, the crew had to simultaneously watch both the front of the aircraft as well as the right side area of the ramp (because of parked containers). However, the closure rate/momentum exceeded what the wing-walker had anticipated, and everything occurred simultaneously (the wing-walker commanded the crew to stop, brake application was applied, but the momentum of the aircraft caused the wingtip to strike the parked semi-trailer before human reaction could occur. To prevent this from occurring again, it was discussed by management and the crew that if there is ever any doubt of the safe movement of the aircraft, we must err on the conservative side of caution until all problems are corrected. Supplemental information from acn 518951: factors affecting human performance: crew was called for duty at XA45 for the trip to cleveland, oh, from detroit, mi, and continue on the norfolk, va, and return to detroit mi, the occurrence of the wingtip strike was at XF24. Back side of the clock fatigue was a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WINGTIP STRIKE. A DC9 CAPT IN TRAINING ALLOWS HIS TAXIING ACFT TO HIT A TRAILER PARKED OFF THE L WINGTIP DURING A RAMP DEP PROC AT ORF, VA.

Narrative: AFTER PARKING AT THE CARGO RAMP IN ORF, A SEMI-TRAILER WAS PARKED NEAR OUR DC9 (SERIES 15). IT WAS DECIDED BY THE CREW THAT THE ACFT COULD TAXI PAST THE SEMI-TRAILER. WE HAD OUR CARGO LOAD MASTER/MARSHALLER AS A WING WALKER TO WATCH THE L WINGTIP (WHILE BOTH WINDOWS WERE OPEN AND THE WING WALKER WAS VISIBLE TO THE PLT TAXIING THE PLANE IN THE L SEAT. I IN PIC IOE UPGRADE TRAINING WAS IN THE L SEAT AND CAPT/CHK AIRMAN WAS IN THE R SEAT, AND LOAD MASTER WAS OUTSIDE THE PLANE WATCHING THE L WING. AS WE STARTED MOVING, THE L WINGTIP CONTACTED THE SEMI-TRAILER BEFORE WE COULD STOP THE ACFT. HENCE, THE L POS LIGHT LENS WAS CRACKED AND THE FRONT CORNER OF THE L WINGTIP WAS SCRAPED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: UNNECESSARY OBSTACLES PLACED PERMANENTLY ON THE RAMP WHERE ONLY THE PLANES SHOULD BE, AND UNATTENDED OBSTACLES UNABLE TO BE MOVED IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE SIT WAS DISCUSSED BY ALL CREW MEMBERS -- AND WAS CONSIDERED TO BE COMPLETELY SAFE. AFTER THE CARGO WAS UNLOADED AND THE CREW WAS READY TO DEPART, THERE WAS NOT ANY TRACTOR AVAILABLE TO MOVE THE TRAILER. ALL CREW MEMBERS DISCUSSED/PRE-BRIEFED THAT THE OP COULD BE SAFELY ACCOMPLISHED, AND THE DISTANCE AND TURN RADIUS OF THE ACFT WERE DEEMED ADEQUATE BY THE CREW. DURING THE R TURN, THE CREW HAD TO SIMULTANEOUSLY WATCH BOTH THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AS WELL AS THE R SIDE AREA OF THE RAMP (BECAUSE OF PARKED CONTAINERS). HOWEVER, THE CLOSURE RATE/MOMENTUM EXCEEDED WHAT THE WING-WALKER HAD ANTICIPATED, AND EVERYTHING OCCURRED SIMULTANEOUSLY (THE WING-WALKER COMMANDED THE CREW TO STOP, BRAKE APPLICATION WAS APPLIED, BUT THE MOMENTUM OF THE ACFT CAUSED THE WINGTIP TO STRIKE THE PARKED SEMI-TRAILER BEFORE HUMAN REACTION COULD OCCUR. TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, IT WAS DISCUSSED BY MGMNT AND THE CREW THAT IF THERE IS EVER ANY DOUBT OF THE SAFE MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT, WE MUST ERR ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF CAUTION UNTIL ALL PROBS ARE CORRECTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 518951: FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: CREW WAS CALLED FOR DUTY AT XA45 FOR THE TRIP TO CLEVELAND, OH, FROM DETROIT, MI, AND CONTINUE ON THE NORFOLK, VA, AND RETURN TO DETROIT MI, THE OCCURRENCE OF THE WINGTIP STRIKE WAS AT XF24. BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR.

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.