Narrative:

While under guidance of marshaller, mishap aircraft was being maneuvered into parking spot at gate xx at sfo. Left wingtip of aircraft contacted stationary fuel truck that was parked in a position to refuel a B757 aircraft parked at gate yy. After landing, aircraft taxied south on taxiway a. Parking at gate xx required a right turn of about 110 degrees. Wing landing lights were off. Nosewheel taxi light was turned off during right turn off of taxiway a toward gate. Close proximity of fuel truck noted to left of parking spot. After passing fuel truck, attention was turned toward marshaller, who gave signals for the aircraft to move to the left. Taxi speed was about 5 KTS. At about 30 ft from the intended parking spot, the aircraft's left wingtip contacted the fuel truck, bringing the aircraft to a stop. The marshaller was still giving a 'come ahead' signal at the time of the collision. As soon as it became obvious that the aircraft had struck a fuel truck, the left engine was shut down and APU started. Position lights were turned off to eliminate a possible ignition source. Once the APU was up to speed, the right engine was shut down. Damage: the aircraft suffered a crushed wingtip. The crushed area extended inboard from the tip about 5 inches, and was about 18 inches long. There was also some crushing of the leading edge about 12-18 inches inboard from the wingtip, where the airplane apparently contacted the ladder on the back of the fuel truck. Obvious damage to the truck was limited to a dent on the top of the tank, and a bent ladder. The truck's fuel tank did not appear to be torn or ruptured. There was no apparent loss of any fluid from either the airplane or the fuel truck. Other factors: area lighting appeared to be adequate. Landing and taxi lights were off at the time of the mishap. The jetway was between the marshaller and the wingtip, and may have restr the marshaller's view. There were no wing walkers. There is no taxi line where the aircraft is customarily parked! There is a taxi line available for widebody transport aircraft, but station personnel say that the line can't be used for the MD80 because the resulting geometry does not permit the jetway to extend to the airplane. Because of this, MD80's are parked about 7 or 8 ft to the left of the painted line, and roughly parallel to it. The only painted marking that is actually used consists of a spot for the nosewheel. There are no limit lines in the area to indicate ground equipment is located a safe distance from an aircraft that is maneuvering into a parking spot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 COLLIDES WITH A GAS TRUCK DURING TAXIING TO THE GATE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE L WINGTIP AND LEADING EDGE.

Narrative: WHILE UNDER GUIDANCE OF MARSHALLER, MISHAP ACFT WAS BEING MANEUVERED INTO PARKING SPOT AT GATE XX AT SFO. L WINGTIP OF ACFT CONTACTED STATIONARY FUEL TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED IN A POS TO REFUEL A B757 ACFT PARKED AT GATE YY. AFTER LNDG, ACFT TAXIED S ON TXWY A. PARKING AT GATE XX REQUIRED A R TURN OF ABOUT 110 DEGS. WING LNDG LIGHTS WERE OFF. NOSEWHEEL TAXI LIGHT WAS TURNED OFF DURING R TURN OFF OF TXWY A TOWARD GATE. CLOSE PROX OF FUEL TRUCK NOTED TO L OF PARKING SPOT. AFTER PASSING FUEL TRUCK, ATTN WAS TURNED TOWARD MARSHALLER, WHO GAVE SIGNALS FOR THE ACFT TO MOVE TO THE L. TAXI SPD WAS ABOUT 5 KTS. AT ABOUT 30 FT FROM THE INTENDED PARKING SPOT, THE ACFT'S L WINGTIP CONTACTED THE FUEL TRUCK, BRINGING THE ACFT TO A STOP. THE MARSHALLER WAS STILL GIVING A 'COME AHEAD' SIGNAL AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. AS SOON AS IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK A FUEL TRUCK, THE L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND APU STARTED. POS LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF TO ELIMINATE A POSSIBLE IGNITION SOURCE. ONCE THE APU WAS UP TO SPD, THE R ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. DAMAGE: THE ACFT SUFFERED A CRUSHED WINGTIP. THE CRUSHED AREA EXTENDED INBOARD FROM THE TIP ABOUT 5 INCHES, AND WAS ABOUT 18 INCHES LONG. THERE WAS ALSO SOME CRUSHING OF THE LEADING EDGE ABOUT 12-18 INCHES INBOARD FROM THE WINGTIP, WHERE THE AIRPLANE APPARENTLY CONTACTED THE LADDER ON THE BACK OF THE FUEL TRUCK. OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK WAS LIMITED TO A DENT ON THE TOP OF THE TANK, AND A BENT LADDER. THE TRUCK'S FUEL TANK DID NOT APPEAR TO BE TORN OR RUPTURED. THERE WAS NO APPARENT LOSS OF ANY FLUID FROM EITHER THE AIRPLANE OR THE FUEL TRUCK. OTHER FACTORS: AREA LIGHTING APPEARED TO BE ADEQUATE. LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS WERE OFF AT THE TIME OF THE MISHAP. THE JETWAY WAS BTWN THE MARSHALLER AND THE WINGTIP, AND MAY HAVE RESTR THE MARSHALLER'S VIEW. THERE WERE NO WING WALKERS. THERE IS NO TAXI LINE WHERE THE ACFT IS CUSTOMARILY PARKED! THERE IS A TAXI LINE AVAILABLE FOR WDB ACFT, BUT STATION PERSONNEL SAY THAT THE LINE CAN'T BE USED FOR THE MD80 BECAUSE THE RESULTING GEOMETRY DOES NOT PERMIT THE JETWAY TO EXTEND TO THE AIRPLANE. BECAUSE OF THIS, MD80'S ARE PARKED ABOUT 7 OR 8 FT TO THE L OF THE PAINTED LINE, AND ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO IT. THE ONLY PAINTED MARKING THAT IS ACTUALLY USED CONSISTS OF A SPOT FOR THE NOSEWHEEL. THERE ARE NO LIMIT LINES IN THE AREA TO INDICATE GND EQUIP IS LOCATED A SAFE DISTANCE FROM AN ACFT THAT IS MANEUVERING INTO A PARKING SPOT.

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.