Ramp operation. The left wing of an MD80 flight is damaged when contacting a catering truck sitting ...

Attributes
ACN	599139
Time
Date	200311
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	599139
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : gnd 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We stopped at the tow in point for gate at lga and shut down both engines. Interphone communication was established with the tow crew. He asked for brakes released and I said 'that catering truck looks too close.' his response was, 'my wing walker says it looks ok.' I then said, 'the wing walker is not looking at the truck or the wing.' he then said that the wing walker looked at it and gave him a thumbs up. I released the brakes and told the driver that the brakes were released. After a short time, I saw a marshaller put up the stop signal for the tow driver. When the tow driver saw the stop signal, he stopped. There was some activity among the ground personnel and then they began to tow the airplane again. When we stopped at the gate, I asked the tow driver what was going on and he said that we had hit the truck. I ran checklists and pulled the cockpit voice recorder circuit breaker. I asked my first officer to call maintenance and tell them that we pulled the cockpit voice recorder circuit breaker (so they wouldn't push it back in), while I called dispatch and the chief pilot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP OP. THE L WING OF AN MD80 FLT IS DAMAGED WHEN CONTACTING A CATERING TRUCK SITTING ON THE RAMP NEAR THE FOUL LINE AREA AT LGA, NY.

Narrative: WE STOPPED AT THE TOW IN POINT FOR GATE AT LGA AND SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. INTERPHONE COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE TOW CREW. HE ASKED FOR BRAKES RELEASED AND I SAID 'THAT CATERING TRUCK LOOKS TOO CLOSE.' HIS RESPONSE WAS, 'MY WING WALKER SAYS IT LOOKS OK.' I THEN SAID, 'THE WING WALKER IS NOT LOOKING AT THE TRUCK OR THE WING.' HE THEN SAID THAT THE WING WALKER LOOKED AT IT AND GAVE HIM A THUMBS UP. I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND TOLD THE DRIVER THAT THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED. AFTER A SHORT TIME, I SAW A MARSHALLER PUT UP THE STOP SIGNAL FOR THE TOW DRIVER. WHEN THE TOW DRIVER SAW THE STOP SIGNAL, HE STOPPED. THERE WAS SOME ACTIVITY AMONG THE GND PERSONNEL AND THEN THEY BEGAN TO TOW THE AIRPLANE AGAIN. WHEN WE STOPPED AT THE GATE, I ASKED THE TOW DRIVER WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HE SAID THAT WE HAD HIT THE TRUCK. I RAN CHKLISTS AND PULLED THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER. I ASKED MY FO TO CALL MAINT AND TELL THEM THAT WE PULLED THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER (SO THEY WOULDN'T PUSH IT BACK IN), WHILE I CALLED DISPATCH AND THE CHIEF PLT.

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.

Ramp operation. The left wing of an MD80 flight is damaged when contacting a catering truck sitting on the ramp near the foul line area at lga, ny.