Narrative:

While taxiing in to the gate at jfk, the left wingtip of the aircraft made contact with an improperly parked stair truck. The stair truck is used for the deplaning of passenger through the aft cabin door. Approaching the gate, I scanned the area as usual and noticed nothing that might present a problem. There were wing walkers on either side of the aircraft for the parking phase. A 90 degree turn to the right is required to line up with the parking centerline, then strict adherence to the cues from the alignment light is necessary for proper positioning. I made the turn and lined up straight on the centerline using cues from the line-up lights. Taxi speed was at a normal rate and I continued forward while looking at the lights for proper directional information. I brought the aircraft to a very slow pace when the yellow light illuminated, then to a complete stop when the red light illuminated. At no time during the parking procedure did I notice that the aircraft had struck the stair truck. The ground supervisor came to the cockpit to inform me of the situation. An inspection found a small dent in the outermost portion of the wingtip. Measurements were taken and engineering returned the aircraft to service approximately 2 hours later. This problem arose from equipment not being parked in the proper location, and wing walkers not paying attention to what they are supposed to. Contributing factors were people becoming complacent with their duties and parking equipment in an unsafe zone. The requirement of the captain to look continuously left and right while trying to maintain proper forward alignment by reference to the guide-in lights was also a factor. In the future, a second or even third closer look of the ramp area before proceeding in will be on my agenda. Distance, while looking in several different directions and moving at the same time, can be incorrectly judged, therefore, diligence is the key to a successful outcome. Supplemental information from acn 567922: my main concern was the lackadaisical attitude that I noticed by the 2 wingwalkers/maintenance personnel on the left side of the aircraft. Before we had made the final right turn in to the gate, I noticed my side personnel was actively walking alongside the aircraft and the left side were just standing up against a partition wall with their hands in their pockets conversing with each other. Complacency by ground personnel caused this accident. They weren't at/under the wing and the stair truck was not lowered since it was not in use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC HAS COLLISION WITH GND EQUIP DURING TAXI TO GATE AT JFK.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING IN TO THE GATE AT JFK, THE L WINGTIP OF THE ACFT MADE CONTACT WITH AN IMPROPERLY PARKED STAIR TRUCK. THE STAIR TRUCK IS USED FOR THE DEPLANING OF PAX THROUGH THE AFT CABIN DOOR. APCHING THE GATE, I SCANNED THE AREA AS USUAL AND NOTICED NOTHING THAT MIGHT PRESENT A PROB. THERE WERE WING WALKERS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ACFT FOR THE PARKING PHASE. A 90 DEG TURN TO THE R IS REQUIRED TO LINE UP WITH THE PARKING CTRLINE, THEN STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE CUES FROM THE ALIGNMENT LIGHT IS NECESSARY FOR PROPER POSITIONING. I MADE THE TURN AND LINED UP STRAIGHT ON THE CTRLINE USING CUES FROM THE LINE-UP LIGHTS. TAXI SPD WAS AT A NORMAL RATE AND I CONTINUED FORWARD WHILE LOOKING AT THE LIGHTS FOR PROPER DIRECTIONAL INFO. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A VERY SLOW PACE WHEN THE YELLOW LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THEN TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN THE RED LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AT NO TIME DURING THE PARKING PROC DID I NOTICE THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK THE STAIR TRUCK. THE GND SUPVR CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM ME OF THE SIT. AN INSPECTION FOUND A SMALL DENT IN THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF THE WINGTIP. MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN AND ENGINEERING RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC APPROX 2 HRS LATER. THIS PROB AROSE FROM EQUIP NOT BEING PARKED IN THE PROPER LOCATION, AND WING WALKERS NOT PAYING ATTN TO WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE PEOPLE BECOMING COMPLACENT WITH THEIR DUTIES AND PARKING EQUIP IN AN UNSAFE ZONE. THE REQUIREMENT OF THE CAPT TO LOOK CONTINUOUSLY L AND R WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN PROPER FORWARD ALIGNMENT BY REF TO THE GUIDE-IN LIGHTS WAS ALSO A FACTOR. IN THE FUTURE, A SECOND OR EVEN THIRD CLOSER LOOK OF THE RAMP AREA BEFORE PROCEEDING IN WILL BE ON MY AGENDA. DISTANCE, WHILE LOOKING IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND MOVING AT THE SAME TIME, CAN BE INCORRECTLY JUDGED, THEREFORE, DILIGENCE IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 567922: MY MAIN CONCERN WAS THE LACKADAISICAL ATTITUDE THAT I NOTICED BY THE 2 WINGWALKERS/MAINT PERSONNEL ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. BEFORE WE HAD MADE THE FINAL R TURN IN TO THE GATE, I NOTICED MY SIDE PERSONNEL WAS ACTIVELY WALKING ALONGSIDE THE ACFT AND THE L SIDE WERE JUST STANDING UP AGAINST A PARTITION WALL WITH THEIR HANDS IN THEIR POCKETS CONVERSING WITH EACH OTHER. COMPLACENCY BY GND PERSONNEL CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT. THEY WEREN'T AT/UNDER THE WING AND THE STAIR TRUCK WAS NOT LOWERED SINCE IT WAS NOT IN USE.

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.