MD80 flight crew has collision with vehicle while taxiing into the gate area at mia.

Attributes
ACN	582885
Time
Date	200305
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	582885
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	582961
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While taxiing straight into gate with wing walkers on both wings, about 150 ft from the gate with the guideman moving wands to wave me in, felt a jolt, stopped aircraft. Guideman never gave a stop signal. Had guideman come to aircraft with headset. I asked if I had hit chocks or something. He responded that I had hit a van with my right wingtip. I continued taxiing to the gate with guideman. Upon inspection of right wingtip, appeared contact was made approximately 1 ft inboard of the wingtip. Van showed contact approximately 2 ft down on the left side rear guideman stated he got an all clear signal from the wing walker. Not once did I get a slowdown or stop signal from the guideman, not even after I hit the van. May I ask what the purpose of a wing walker is? There was no red line, but the van was behind a white line. It looked close, but I thought that was what a wing walker was there for.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW HAS COLLISION WITH VEHICLE WHILE TAXIING INTO THE GATE AREA AT MIA.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING STRAIGHT INTO GATE WITH WING WALKERS ON BOTH WINGS, ABOUT 150 FT FROM THE GATE WITH THE GUIDEMAN MOVING WANDS TO WAVE ME IN, FELT A JOLT, STOPPED ACFT. GUIDEMAN NEVER GAVE A STOP SIGNAL. HAD GUIDEMAN COME TO ACFT WITH HEADSET. I ASKED IF I HAD HIT CHOCKS OR SOMETHING. HE RESPONDED THAT I HAD HIT A VAN WITH MY R WINGTIP. I CONTINUED TAXIING TO THE GATE WITH GUIDEMAN. UPON INSPECTION OF R WINGTIP, APPEARED CONTACT WAS MADE APPROX 1 FT INBOARD OF THE WINGTIP. VAN SHOWED CONTACT APPROX 2 FT DOWN ON THE L SIDE REAR GUIDEMAN STATED HE GOT AN ALL CLR SIGNAL FROM THE WING WALKER. NOT ONCE DID I GET A SLOWDOWN OR STOP SIGNAL FROM THE GUIDEMAN, NOT EVEN AFTER I HIT THE VAN. MAY I ASK WHAT THE PURPOSE OF A WING WALKER IS? THERE WAS NO RED LINE, BUT THE VAN WAS BEHIND A WHITE LINE. IT LOOKED CLOSE, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS WHAT A WING WALKER WAS THERE FOR.

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.