An MD80 came in contact with a ground vehicle while being guided in to the gate.

Attributes
ACN	619451
Time
Date	200406
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aus.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-82
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground other : parking at gate
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	619451
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	619450
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While taxiing in to gate at aus under control of guide man, when within 4-6 ft of stop point, felt an impact and stopped immediately. Guide man continued to motion us forward. I called for maintenance to inspect jet as there was a definite impact as if a piece of ground equipment had hit us. Maintenance cleared the aircraft to continue movement, we parked at jetbridge and deplaned. Apparently, guide man had marshaled us into a catering vehicle parked off of our left wingtip. Wing walkers were in place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAME IN CONTACT WITH A GND VEHICLE WHILE BEING GUIDED IN TO THE GATE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING IN TO GATE AT AUS UNDER CTL OF GUIDE MAN, WHEN WITHIN 4-6 FT OF STOP POINT, FELT AN IMPACT AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. GUIDE MAN CONTINUED TO MOTION US FORWARD. I CALLED FOR MAINT TO INSPECT JET AS THERE WAS A DEFINITE IMPACT AS IF A PIECE OF GND EQUIP HAD HIT US. MAINT CLRED THE ACFT TO CONTINUE MOVEMENT, WE PARKED AT JETBRIDGE AND DEPLANED. APPARENTLY, GUIDE MAN HAD MARSHALED US INTO A CATERING VEHICLE PARKED OFF OF OUR L WINGTIP. WING WALKERS WERE IN PLACE.

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.