Narrative:

3 of the last 4 times I have flown into san diego and parked at gate xx, there has been an S80 parked in between gate xy and xx. It is so close to the yellow painted taxi line that if I had taxied into gate xx exactly on the yellow line, the left wingtip would have impacted my right wing about 1/3 of the wing span in from the wingtip. Every time this occurred, there was a B767 parked at gate xz. This means there is absolutely no way to safely taxi from the airport taxiway into the ramp area and into the gate. Even with wing walkers, this is risky. The first 2 times I had this occur, I did taxi in with wing walkers, but notified the station management personnel on duty at the time that it was unsafe. Both times, the station personnel acknowledged it was less than safe, both times station personnel acknowledged pilots complained about the situation. Both times station personnel acknowledged this was a routine -- daily situation. For goodness sake, do we have to bend metal to get it through to the san folks that unsafe means there is a reasonable risk of damage to equipment and injury to personnel involved here? It took me over 40 mins to finally get ground personnel to approach the airplane so I could get a tug to pull me in. I tried radio calls, I tried flashing my nose light and I even resorted to using my cell phone to try to get operations and or maintenance on the line. If this parking is necessary due to constrained ramp space at san, for goodness sake get a red and yellow clear area painted around where the airplane, between xy and xx, is parked and get an accurate measurement of a clear taxi area in to the gate and paint it on the ramp so we can proceed safely. If you are short man power to do it, get me the paint and I'll fly out on my days off and paint it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ADVISES PARKING ACFT IN SAN DIEGO IS UNSAFE DUE TO INADEQUATE MARKINGS AND CLOSE PROX OF ACFT IN ADJACENT GATES.

Narrative: 3 OF THE LAST 4 TIMES I HAVE FLOWN INTO SAN DIEGO AND PARKED AT GATE XX, THERE HAS BEEN AN S80 PARKED IN BTWN GATE XY AND XX. IT IS SO CLOSE TO THE YELLOW PAINTED TAXI LINE THAT IF I HAD TAXIED INTO GATE XX EXACTLY ON THE YELLOW LINE, THE L WINGTIP WOULD HAVE IMPACTED MY R WING ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WING SPAN IN FROM THE WINGTIP. EVERY TIME THIS OCCURRED, THERE WAS A B767 PARKED AT GATE XZ. THIS MEANS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO SAFELY TAXI FROM THE ARPT TXWY INTO THE RAMP AREA AND INTO THE GATE. EVEN WITH WING WALKERS, THIS IS RISKY. THE FIRST 2 TIMES I HAD THIS OCCUR, I DID TAXI IN WITH WING WALKERS, BUT NOTIFIED THE STATION MGMNT PERSONNEL ON DUTY AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS UNSAFE. BOTH TIMES, THE STATION PERSONNEL ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS LESS THAN SAFE, BOTH TIMES STATION PERSONNEL ACKNOWLEDGED PLTS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SIT. BOTH TIMES STATION PERSONNEL ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS A ROUTINE -- DAILY SIT. FOR GOODNESS SAKE, DO WE HAVE TO BEND METAL TO GET IT THROUGH TO THE SAN FOLKS THAT UNSAFE MEANS THERE IS A REASONABLE RISK OF DAMAGE TO EQUIP AND INJURY TO PERSONNEL INVOLVED HERE? IT TOOK ME OVER 40 MINS TO FINALLY GET GND PERSONNEL TO APCH THE AIRPLANE SO I COULD GET A TUG TO PULL ME IN. I TRIED RADIO CALLS, I TRIED FLASHING MY NOSE LIGHT AND I EVEN RESORTED TO USING MY CELL PHONE TO TRY TO GET OPS AND OR MAINT ON THE LINE. IF THIS PARKING IS NECESSARY DUE TO CONSTRAINED RAMP SPACE AT SAN, FOR GOODNESS SAKE GET A RED AND YELLOW CLR AREA PAINTED AROUND WHERE THE AIRPLANE, BTWN XY AND XX, IS PARKED AND GET AN ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF A CLR TAXI AREA IN TO THE GATE AND PAINT IT ON THE RAMP SO WE CAN PROCEED SAFELY. IF YOU ARE SHORT MAN PWR TO DO IT, GET ME THE PAINT AND I'LL FLY OUT ON MY DAYS OFF AND PAINT IT.

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.