Narrative:

After landing runway 25L, short taxi to gate. Turn in to gate, guide man and wing walkers set up. Guide man brought us up to just short of the gate and gave us a fast stop. Later, the guide man got on the intercom and told us that 'maybe some equipment may be too close.' they hooked up the tug and pulled the aircraft in the last few ft. Mechanics came into the cockpit and said something touched the left engine and left a 'scuff.' supplemental information from acn 619449: ground equipment appeared to be in their typical location, scattered on the ramp, appeared cleared of our path. The aircraft was on the centerline and I followed the guide man's instructions. I stopped on his signal. All seemed normal, typical gate arrival, except I commented to the first officer that the guide man expressions upon his stop command were unusual. There was a delay in opening the forward entry door. 2 mins later, I was asked to release the brakes so they could move the aircraft a few ft forward so it would be properly positioned with the jetbridge. I was advised that the aircraft may have been close or may have swiped ground equipment. I was told that the mechanic did inspect the left engine, no problem was noted. I found nothing visible, but a light smudge, nothing visible, no scratches. I found no ground crew in sight. The mechanic who was checking our write-ups in the cockpit, advised me that it was an ongoing problem, equipment not properly secured. It is not acceptable to be guided in with wingwalkers and almost have a disaster impacting ground equipment.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L ENG ON A B767-300 BRUSHES A PIECE OF GND EQUIP DURING THE RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC AT THE GATE IN LAX, CA.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG RWY 25L, SHORT TAXI TO GATE. TURN IN TO GATE, GUIDE MAN AND WING WALKERS SET UP. GUIDE MAN BROUGHT US UP TO JUST SHORT OF THE GATE AND GAVE US A FAST STOP. LATER, THE GUIDE MAN GOT ON THE INTERCOM AND TOLD US THAT 'MAYBE SOME EQUIP MAY BE TOO CLOSE.' THEY HOOKED UP THE TUG AND PULLED THE ACFT IN THE LAST FEW FT. MECHS CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND SAID SOMETHING TOUCHED THE L ENG AND LEFT A 'SCUFF.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 619449: GND EQUIP APPEARED TO BE IN THEIR TYPICAL LOCATION, SCATTERED ON THE RAMP, APPEARED CLRED OF OUR PATH. THE ACFT WAS ON THE CTRLINE AND I FOLLOWED THE GUIDE MAN'S INSTRUCTIONS. I STOPPED ON HIS SIGNAL. ALL SEEMED NORMAL, TYPICAL GATE ARR, EXCEPT I COMMENTED TO THE FO THAT THE GUIDE MAN EXPRESSIONS UPON HIS STOP COMMAND WERE UNUSUAL. THERE WAS A DELAY IN OPENING THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. 2 MINS LATER, I WAS ASKED TO RELEASE THE BRAKES SO THEY COULD MOVE THE ACFT A FEW FT FORWARD SO IT WOULD BE PROPERLY POSITIONED WITH THE JETBRIDGE. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE ACFT MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSE OR MAY HAVE SWIPED GND EQUIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE MECH DID INSPECT THE L ENG, NO PROB WAS NOTED. I FOUND NOTHING VISIBLE, BUT A LIGHT SMUDGE, NOTHING VISIBLE, NO SCRATCHES. I FOUND NO GND CREW IN SIGHT. THE MECH WHO WAS CHKING OUR WRITE-UPS IN THE COCKPIT, ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS AN ONGOING PROB, EQUIP NOT PROPERLY SECURED. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO BE GUIDED IN WITH WINGWALKERS AND ALMOST HAVE A DISASTER IMPACTING GND EQUIP.

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.