Narrative:

Upon deplaning in psp, last passenger off the aircraft said he saw the left wingtip contact a portable airstairs, causing the upper/outer RAIL to drop on the airstairs. Upon inspection outside, I noticed paint scrapings along the outside lens of the position lights on the left wingtip. I could see no tearing of the skin, cracking of the lens, or other visible damage. Shortly after, we discovered a broken static wick on the ground. I notified the ground crew of the contact, as they were unaware of what had happened. On marshalling in, we had 3 marshalers and no signals other than standard. Psp has a procedure where they often utilize rear airstairs for boarding and deplaning. To help guide passenger to and from the rear stairs, there is a yellow safety line painted on the ramp and augmented with orange safety cones. This line and cone arrangement starts parallel to the aircraft, but then angles in towards the aircraft, extending just beyond the aircraft wingtip when the aircraft is fully at the gate. Approximately 20 ft before the end of the line and cones, a faint white and red line is painted, which angles away from the yellow line and cones. The portable airstairs were inside this line. However, the portable stairs were outside the extension of the yellow line and orange cones, appearing to be well outside the safety zone. This problem is exacerbated by the approach to the gate that most aircraft take. The predominate runway in use is runway 31L, which means aircraft commonly approach the gate at an angle, which magnifies the illusion of equipment being outside the safe zone and outside the extension of the yellow line and orange cones. I suggest that the yellow line and cones parallel the aircraft to a point where all equipment outside that line would be clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC HAS GND ENCOUNTER WITH AIRSTAIRS AT PSP.

Narrative: UPON DEPLANING IN PSP, LAST PAX OFF THE ACFT SAID HE SAW THE L WINGTIP CONTACT A PORTABLE AIRSTAIRS, CAUSING THE UPPER/OUTER RAIL TO DROP ON THE AIRSTAIRS. UPON INSPECTION OUTSIDE, I NOTICED PAINT SCRAPINGS ALONG THE OUTSIDE LENS OF THE POS LIGHTS ON THE L WINGTIP. I COULD SEE NO TEARING OF THE SKIN, CRACKING OF THE LENS, OR OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE. SHORTLY AFTER, WE DISCOVERED A BROKEN STATIC WICK ON THE GND. I NOTIFIED THE GND CREW OF THE CONTACT, AS THEY WERE UNAWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ON MARSHALLING IN, WE HAD 3 MARSHALERS AND NO SIGNALS OTHER THAN STANDARD. PSP HAS A PROC WHERE THEY OFTEN UTILIZE REAR AIRSTAIRS FOR BOARDING AND DEPLANING. TO HELP GUIDE PAX TO AND FROM THE REAR STAIRS, THERE IS A YELLOW SAFETY LINE PAINTED ON THE RAMP AND AUGMENTED WITH ORANGE SAFETY CONES. THIS LINE AND CONE ARRANGEMENT STARTS PARALLEL TO THE ACFT, BUT THEN ANGLES IN TOWARDS THE ACFT, EXTENDING JUST BEYOND THE ACFT WINGTIP WHEN THE ACFT IS FULLY AT THE GATE. APPROX 20 FT BEFORE THE END OF THE LINE AND CONES, A FAINT WHITE AND RED LINE IS PAINTED, WHICH ANGLES AWAY FROM THE YELLOW LINE AND CONES. THE PORTABLE AIRSTAIRS WERE INSIDE THIS LINE. HOWEVER, THE PORTABLE STAIRS WERE OUTSIDE THE EXTENSION OF THE YELLOW LINE AND ORANGE CONES, APPEARING TO BE WELL OUTSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE. THIS PROB IS EXACERBATED BY THE APCH TO THE GATE THAT MOST ACFT TAKE. THE PREDOMINATE RWY IN USE IS RWY 31L, WHICH MEANS ACFT COMMONLY APCH THE GATE AT AN ANGLE, WHICH MAGNIFIES THE ILLUSION OF EQUIP BEING OUTSIDE THE SAFE ZONE AND OUTSIDE THE EXTENSION OF THE YELLOW LINE AND ORANGE CONES. I SUGGEST THAT THE YELLOW LINE AND CONES PARALLEL THE ACFT TO A POINT WHERE ALL EQUIP OUTSIDE THAT LINE WOULD BE CLR.

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.