Narrative:

We received clearance from ramp control to leave the gate and taxi sbound. Marshaller cleared us to commence taxi and captain started turning aircraft to the left. In order to get out of our parking spot, we had to clear a very narrow alley between parked baggage carts and a dash 8 parked next to us at another gate. As captain turned aircraft, the marshaller followed along the nose of our aircraft and past the tail of the parked dash 8. I was looking at the wingtip of our aircraft and the marshaller alternatively. As we got close to the tail of the dash 8, I looked at the marshaller and he motioned us to continue to taxi. Just before our right wingtip hit the tail of the dash 8, the marshaller signaled us to turn left and just as I told captain to turn he saw the marshaller also and commenced a left turn. Just as we turned, our wingtip-mounted strobe light impacted the tail cone of the dash 8. The captain stopped our aircraft. I was still looking at the marshaller and trying to find out if there was any damage. The marshaller never gave me a stop signal. Not before we hit, as we hit or after we hit the dash 8,. We then signaled the marshaller that we needed to return to the gate and proceeded to do so. After we parked the aircraft, the captain went outside and assessed the damage. The right wing-mounted strobe light was completely ripped off the saab. On the dash 8 there was a crack in the plastic tail cone and 1 of the 2 tail lights was shattered. We informed the crew of the dash 8 and called our dispatchers to inform them. Contributing factors: baggage carts parked too close to alley. Tugs with headlights on blinding captain. Marshaller did not have any wands. 2-FT total clearance between wingtips and obstacles (1 ft on each side) under ideal conditions -- alley too narrow for saab. Supplemental information from acn 537690: do not park aircraft larger than the beech 1900 on gate. Provide aircraft parking on or leaving that gate with a marshaller and 2 wing walkers. Change the location of the baggage cart dump.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 SUFFERS A WINGTIP STRIKE ON A PARKED DHC-8 IN THE NEXT GATE DURING A RAMP OP DEP PROC AT PIT, PA.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL TO LEAVE THE GATE AND TAXI SBOUND. MARSHALLER CLRED US TO COMMENCE TAXI AND CAPT STARTED TURNING ACFT TO THE L. IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF OUR PARKING SPOT, WE HAD TO CLR A VERY NARROW ALLEY BTWN PARKED BAGGAGE CARTS AND A DASH 8 PARKED NEXT TO US AT ANOTHER GATE. AS CAPT TURNED ACFT, THE MARSHALLER FOLLOWED ALONG THE NOSE OF OUR ACFT AND PAST THE TAIL OF THE PARKED DASH 8. I WAS LOOKING AT THE WINGTIP OF OUR ACFT AND THE MARSHALLER ALTERNATIVELY. AS WE GOT CLOSE TO THE TAIL OF THE DASH 8, I LOOKED AT THE MARSHALLER AND HE MOTIONED US TO CONTINUE TO TAXI. JUST BEFORE OUR R WINGTIP HIT THE TAIL OF THE DASH 8, THE MARSHALLER SIGNALED US TO TURN L AND JUST AS I TOLD CAPT TO TURN HE SAW THE MARSHALLER ALSO AND COMMENCED A L TURN. JUST AS WE TURNED, OUR WINGTIP-MOUNTED STROBE LIGHT IMPACTED THE TAIL CONE OF THE DASH 8. THE CAPT STOPPED OUR ACFT. I WAS STILL LOOKING AT THE MARSHALLER AND TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE. THE MARSHALLER NEVER GAVE ME A STOP SIGNAL. NOT BEFORE WE HIT, AS WE HIT OR AFTER WE HIT THE DASH 8,. WE THEN SIGNALED THE MARSHALLER THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO. AFTER WE PARKED THE ACFT, THE CAPT WENT OUTSIDE AND ASSESSED THE DAMAGE. THE R WING-MOUNTED STROBE LIGHT WAS COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF THE SAAB. ON THE DASH 8 THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC TAIL CONE AND 1 OF THE 2 TAIL LIGHTS WAS SHATTERED. WE INFORMED THE CREW OF THE DASH 8 AND CALLED OUR DISPATCHERS TO INFORM THEM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: BAGGAGE CARTS PARKED TOO CLOSE TO ALLEY. TUGS WITH HEADLIGHTS ON BLINDING CAPT. MARSHALLER DID NOT HAVE ANY WANDS. 2-FT TOTAL CLRNC BTWN WINGTIPS AND OBSTACLES (1 FT ON EACH SIDE) UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS -- ALLEY TOO NARROW FOR SAAB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 537690: DO NOT PARK ACFT LARGER THAN THE BEECH 1900 ON GATE. PROVIDE ACFT PARKING ON OR LEAVING THAT GATE WITH A MARSHALLER AND 2 WING WALKERS. CHANGE THE LOCATION OF THE BAGGAGE CART DUMP.

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.